Stories of Achievement, Volume III | Page 4

he was thirty-two years old when he was preparing his oration
against Midias; and yet at that time he had attained no name or power
in the administration. . . .
He had a glorious subject for his political ambition to defend the cause

of Greece against Philip. He defended it like a champion worthy of
such a charge, and soon gained great reputation both for eloquence and
for the bold truths which he spoke. He was admired in Greece, and
courted by the king of Persia. Nay, Philip himself had a much higher
opinion of him than the other orators; and his enemies acknowledged
that they had to contend with a great man. For Aeschines and
Hyperides, in their very accusations, give him such a character.
I wonder, therefore, how Theopompus could say that he was a man of
no steadiness, who was never long pleased either with the same persons
or things. For, on the contrary, it appears that he abode by the party and
the measures which he first adopted; and was so far from quitting them
during his life that he forfeited his life rather than he would forsake
them. . . .
It must be acknowledged, however, that he excelled all the orators of
his time, except Phocion, in his life and conversation. And we find in
his orations that he told the people the boldest truths, that he opposed
their inclinations and corrected their errors with the greatest spirit and
freedom. Theopompus also acquaints us that when the Athenians were
for having him manager of a certain impeachment, and insisted upon it
in a tumultuary manner, he would not comply, but rose up and said,
"My friends, I will be your counsellor whether you will or no; but a
false accuser I will not be how much soever you may wish it. . . ."
Demosthenes, through the whole course of his political conduct, left
none of the actions of the kin of Macedon undisparaged. Even in time
of peace he laid hold on every opportunity to raise suspicions against
him among the Athenians, and to excite their resentment. Hence Philip
looked upon him as a person of the greatest importance in Athens; and
when he went with nine other deputies to the court of that prince, after
having given them all audience, he answered the speech of
Demosthenes with greater care than the rest. As to other marks of
honour and respect, Demosthenes had not an equal share in them; they
were bestowed principally upon Aeschines and Philocrates. They,
therefore, were large in the praise of Philip on all occasions, and they
insisted, in particular, on his eloquence, his beauty, and even his being

able to drink a great quantity of liquor. Demosthenes, who could not
bear to hear him praised, turned these things off as trifles. "The first,"
he said, "was the property of a sophist, the second of a woman, and the
third of a sponge; and not one of them could do any credit to a king."
Afterward, it appeared that nothing was to be expected but war; for, on
the one hand, Philip knew not how to sit down in tranquillity; and, on
the other, Demosthenes inflamed the Athenians. In this case, the first
step the orator took was to put the people upon sending an armament to
Euboea, which was brought under the yoke of Philip by its petty tyrants.
Accordingly he drew up an edict, in pursuance of which they passed
over to that peninsula, and drove out the Macedonians. His second
operation was the sending succor to the Byzantians and Perinthians,
with whom Philip was at war. He persuaded the people to drop their
resentment, to forget the faults which both those nations had committed
in the confederate war, and to send a body of troops to their assistance.
They did so, and it saved them from ruin. After this, he went
ambassador to the states of Greece; and, by his animating address,
brought them almost all to join in the league against Philip. . . .
Meantime Philip, elated with his success at Amphissa, surprised Elatea,
and possessed himself of Phocis. The Athenians were struck with
astonishment, and none of them durst mount the rostrum; no one knew
what advice to give; but a melancholy silence reigned the city. In this
distress Demosthenes alone stood forth, and proposed that application
should be made to the Thebans. He likewise animated the people in his
usual manner, and inspired them with fresh hopes; in consequence of
which he was sent ambassador to Thebes, some others being joined in
commission with him. Philip, too, on his part, as Maryas informs us,
sent Anyntus and Clearchus, two Macedonians, Doachus the Thessalian,
Thrasidaeus the Elean, to answer the Athenian deputies. The Thebans