DEME'TRIUS PHALE'REUS, an Athenian, the son of Phano stmtus,lind a scholar of Theophrastus. His earlier years were devoted to the study of philosophy: he lint began to take a part in public affairs about B.C. 320. (Dior,. Laert., v. 5-75.) He was condemned to death at the same time with Phocion (me. 317) for espousing the Macedonian party, but had the good fortune to escape by flight (Plut., 'Phoc.,' exxxv.), and was shortly after made governor of Athens by Cassander. He maintained his authority for ten years, and, according to Strabo (p. 393), Athens was never more happy than under his govern ment. In his administration of affairs he was so popular that 360 statues were erected in his honour; but when Demetrius Poliorcetes came to Athens (me. 307) and proclaimed the old democracy, he was obliged to fly a second time, and would hardly have escaped had not his enemy ensured him a eafo retreat to Thebes. (Diodor. Sic. xx., 45,
46.) After the death of Cassander (Au. 296) Demetrius retired to the court of Ptolemy Soter, king of Egypt, where he was received with great distinction, and where he probably wrote most of the numerous works attributed to him by Diogenes. (v. 5-80.) Unfortunately how ever he made an unsuccessful attempt to dissuade his patron from altering the succession to his crown in favour of his children by Berenice. When Ptolemy Philadelphus came to the throne in B.C. 283 he had not forgotten the counsel which would, had it been listened to, have deprived him of his father's preference, and banished the author of it to Busiris, where be soon after died from tho bite of an asp. A treatise on rhetoric, ascribed to him, has come down to us, and has been edited separately by Schneider, Altenburg, 1779.