DEMOS'THENES (Gk. Atnunreertic) Ie.:36:3 :122 we.). The greatest orator of the ancient world. He was born in the dente Pzeania, in Attica. llis father, a wealthy manufacturer, died early, leaving his fortune and children to the care of three guardians, who abused their trust. As soon as Demosthenes came of age he prosecuted at law these trustees and gained his case; but much of the property had already been squandered, and lie recovered only enough to save him from poverty. His success in this and some other civil causes fixed his resolution to devote himself to public life, and he set him self to master the law and polities of his country with a labor and perseverance almost without parallel. His first appearance before the people was a failure, but this spurred him to OVVECOIlle his defects. His first care was to conquer the physical disadvantages under which he labored. His health was naturally feeble, his voice harsh and tuneless, and his action ungraceful. We are told that, to strengthen his lungs, he used to climb steel) hills. reciting as he went, or declaim on the shores of the sea in stormy weather. To improve his delivery, he took instructions from Satyrus, the actor, and did not disdain to study effects before a mirror. His feebleness of health he never fairly overcame; but he obviated the defeets of his early training by the severest study pursued for months at a time without. an inter rupt ion.
Demosthenes first began to lake part in public affairs when he was about twenty-five years of age. and from that time till his death his his tory is the history of Athens. The States of Greece were at this time miserably weak and divided, and had recklessly shut their eyes to the dangerous encroachments Philip Of Macedon was already making on their eonunon liberties. The first. period of Demosthenes's pull) lie life was spent in warning his countrymen to abate their mutnal jealousies, and unite their forces against the common enemy. whose crafty and grasping policy he exposed. about lase, :351, in the oration known as the First Philippic. In n.(.. 347 Philip heettme master of Illyntims, the last outpost of Athenian power in the north, which. in a series of splendid harangues—the three Olynthiaes—Demosthenes had implored his emintrynien to defend. Peace was now necessary for Athens, and Demosthenes was among the ambassadors sent to negotiate with the OM queror hut in gold had done it- work, and Dcutostlienc., as roes rrtipt Ode he wa. elu .aw wit], despair I hat Philip was allowed to seize Tho-rltioltyke. t lie key iif recce, And he el hie a mend). r of I he .\mpliit•tyolik League, rite peace, concluded in BA . 316, lasted for six year-. (hiring which l'hilip's•incessatit intrigues mere exposed and ileltollneed by Demosthenes in • hardly less remarkable for their po wisdom than for t heir eloquence. 1'he host important of 11)•-4. .ncie the -second and third i'hitipvcs. and tile speeelies nil bits..0 and The .1 /To irs of file ( 7liersom SC.
111•1) Philip entered upon a fresh course of ag gression 341) I . and laid siege to Byzan
tium. he \vas baffled for a I ini• through the assist • :nice afforded by the to the besieged city at the of Denli.t 33!1). In B.C. 3:03. when Philip I lirt•%v Athens into col' by passing Therniopyh• and seizing Elatea, 1)e0tallienes brought about an alliance between his countrymen and Thebes. But the .Nlaceolonian phalanx proved invincible, and the Litt h. laid Dreece prostrate at the feet of the King. 1)emosthenes pronounced the funeral oration over those who fell in the battle, and urged the .Athenians to repair their .walls against their enemy. contributing to the expense front his own purse. For these services Ctesi plion proposed that he be given a golden crown: ‘•liereupon .Eschines. l)ennrstlicnes's lifelong op ponent. :Macke,' Ctesiplam with the charge of having made an illegal proposal. Demosthenes defended him 111.c. 3301 in his oration it the crown—essentially a review of his entire po litical ca reer—Nvhich the almost unanimous ver dict ut critics has pronounced to lie the most perfect nill,terpiece of oratory of ancient or mod ern times. _Esehines was defeated and obliged 111 11 Ild spent the remainder of his life in exile. In BA'. the enemies of 11emos.
Dienes b•omdit about his conviction on a charge of having ri'vviv(d I thrimill'• Ii"' absconding treasurer of .11exander. Vnable to pay the line impact], he was Hinny!) into prison. but succeeded, in escaping. The death of Alex ander the Dreat in all' following year ‘va. fol lowed by the triumphant return of the orator. and III' as ag,ain at t he head of affairs. But the disastrous issue of the Lamian War, waged by the I;reeks against .Ant ipater. was fatal 1, 1)cinatlienes. I Ines more the power of .11iicedtiti revailed. The surrender of lb•mathencs was de manded by I he conquerors. Finding escape im possibl•, (hi' orator sought an asylum ill the tent i], of Poseidon, in the island of Calaurea. Be fore pur.ner, overtook him be died (mt•. . as m getter:111V believed, Id poison ad• mini lend by hi, 111111 11:111.1.
one I f the noblest. His bravery, the .tainle.s purity f hi, public and private life, his splendid and disinterested. if Hind. patriotism. and his .er as 0 and entitle him to a place among the noblest men of II t jilt) y. Vs au orator he has been a--t;_rned the ilitylle-t place by all eritics ,iiitl• ,,W1) 'Tay.
1 11111.. 111111%11 to II, \ y sip a I(tter from Philip of 111101411M. and a eolleetion of hit r11111111 Irpolgia II the letters, introduction., and -ono. of the are regorded lbe are • lited • and by Dintlorf-Illass I Ith ed., Of the single speeches lit re are many speci.il editions; of the ration Da Mc crown the best in English i. 1,3. Doodw in t 1901 I. i- a I ranslat ion of the by in the don, 1s53 63). Dit the life and art of th•nes. eon,ult Schafer, n, s 111111 .5, fns i1 Blass, Allische mitii6it, vol, iii. (Leipzig, 1S93).