Demosthenes

The Plutarch Podcast

ῥᾷστον ἁπάντων ἐστὶν αὑτὸν ἐξαπατῆσαι: ὃ γὰρ βούλεται, τοῦθ᾽ ἕκαστος καὶ οἴεταιNothing is easier than self-deceit, for what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true.—Demosthenes “Third Olynthiac” 19

Parallel - Cicero

OUTLINE

• Introduces both Cicero and Demosthenes
  • Learned Latin Late
  • A good city for research
  • Why stay in a small town?
• Rise to Political Power
• Philip
• Alexander and Exile
• Antipater and the End

Important People

• Philip –
  • Demosthenes strongly resists Philip's incursion into Greek politics until Chaeronea (338 BC)
  • Demosthenes flees the battle of Chaeronea but is still chosen by the Athenians to give the funeral oration.
• Alexander
  • As Alexander comes to power, Demosthenes' life is spared because of the eloquence of an enemy, Demades.
• Aeschines – Political and personal opponent of Demosthenes of whom three speeches still survive (all having to do with Demosthenes)
  • Aeschines v. Demosthenes several times in court
  • Aeschines finally loses and goes into exile to avoid a fine.
• Demades – Orator none of whose works survive. Considered, during his lifetime, to be better than Demosthenes. Because he doesn’t survive, we can’t compare the two. The power of preparedness. Famously quoted in the Life of Solon as saying "Draco wrote his laws not in ink, but in blood"
• Antipater – Regent in Macedon while Alexander campaigned against Persia, he fights a war against the Greeks who revolt at the news of Alexander’s death.

Important Places

• Athens
• Chaeronea (338 BC) – The battle in which Philip cements his control over all of mainland Greece, except for Sparta.
• Troezen/Aegina– The city and island where Demosthenes spends his time while in exile. He flees here again at the end of his life and likely dies right outside a temple to Poseidon outside of his beloved Athens.

See full show notes at
plutarch.life/demosthenes
grammaticus.co/podcast/demosthenes

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