History of Ancient Greece Institute for the Study of Western Civilization April 15, 2019, Week 23 Demosthenes

Isocrates 436-338 BC Demosthenes 384-322 BC

The Age of Alexander

Isocrates 436-338 BC

FROM SOCRATES 399 TO ALEXANDER 338 BC

399 Execution of Socrates 387 Plato founds the Academy at Athens 371 Defeat of Sparta by Thebes 343 Aristotle appointed tutor to the future Alexander III (the Great) 338 Philip II of Macedon defeats Athens and Thebes at the battle of Chaeronea Alexander participates bravely (age 18) 336 Philip II of Macedon murdered and Alexander III succeeds 335 Aristotle founds the Lyceum 334 Alexander visits Troy and campaigns on the western coast of Asia 333 The Macedonians under Alexander defeat the Persian army at Issus 332 Gaza and Egypt surrender to Alexander 331 Alexander defeats the Persians at the battle of Gaugamela 330 Alexander takes over the Persian Empire 327 Alexander invades India 323 Death of Alexander sparks off the Wars of the Successors between his Macedonian generals

370 NEW ATHENIAN FEDERATION IN AEGEAN

370 NEW ATHENIAN FEDERATION IN AEGEAN 370-357 Great wealth, Athens again expands, "conquers" other states get angry 357 Island states of Cos, Chios, Rhodes rebel Athens newly rich repeating same mistakes that brought Pelo Athens conquers Samos, Pydna, Potidea, colonizes with Athenians citizens. (We saw this in the video) Greek city states turn against Athens all over again.

357 Athens now faces new enemy from the north Philip of Macedon 357 Macedon conquers Amphipolis (Thucydides' city)

King Philip II of Macedon, 382-336 BC

Marriage of Philip and Olympias, 356 BC

Happy Royal family with son Alexander born 356

357-338 Macedon gradually absorbs all of the north 338 final battle, Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC) Greek city-states (Demosthenes) VS Philip & Alexander Philip and Alexander win.

Why did Athenian democracy fail? 1. 338 BC conquered by larger state. 2. Class conflict (old families, Pericles, Alcibiades) 3. Slavery 4. Sexual politics (pederasty, jealousy) 5. Aristotle: lack of "Philia" 6. philosophers didnt believe in it. 7. War. aggression. empire. 8. Direct democracy doesn't work for large state. (or maybe for anybody)

FROM SOCRATES 399 TO ALEXANDER 338 BC ISOCRATES 436 BC-338 BC

Democracy not so bad

338 BC BATTLE OF CHAERONEA 5 days later he died.

Athens versus Macedon Demosthenes versus King Philip II of Macedon Demosthenes 384-322 BC

Demosthenes 384 born to wealthy swordmaker (Sophocles similar) 377 father died left large fortune guardians squander 364 Demosthenes studies rhetoric so he can take guardians to court wins case, but money gone 360s goes to work as lawyer and speechwriter (like Isocrates)

Demosthenes 384-322 BC

According to Pseudo-Plutarch, Demosthenes was married once. The only information about his wife, whose name is unknown, is that she was the daughter of Heliodorus, a prominent citizen. Demosthenes also had a daughter, "the only one who ever called him father", according to Aeschines in a trenchant remark. His daughter died young and unmarried a few days before Philip II's death.

According to Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philologist and philosopher, and Constantine Paparrigopoulos, a major modern Greek historian, Demosthenes was a student of Isocrates(436-338 BC).

According to Cicero, Quintillian and the Roman biographer Hermippus, he was a student of Plato (428-348 BC).

Demosthenes is also said to have admired the historian Thucydides. In the Illiterate Book-Fancier, Lucian mentions eight beautiful copies of Thucydides made by Demosthenes, all in Demosthenes' own handwriting.this suggests that Demosthenes had enormous respect for the histoan at his respect for a historian he must have carefully studied.

Thucydides and his book, The History of the Peloponnesian War (410 BC) 10th Century manuscript in Greek preserved in Greece

Theme of the book, The Peloponnesian War, politics Greek Democracy: Pericles to Alcibiades

1. Pericles, Aristocratic leader right. Strategy right. 2. Pericles not responsible for war. 3. Pericles plan for handling war, right. 4. Democrats after, are wrong. Botch the strategy. They are responsible for the disaster. They are esp culpable (Alcibiades) for Sicilian disaster.

According to Plutarch, when Demosthenes first addressed himself to the people, he was derided for his strange and uncouth style, "which was cumbered with long sentences and tortured with formal arguments to a most harsh and disagreeable excess". Some citizens, however, discerned his talent. When he first left the ecclesia (the Athenian Assembly) disheartened, an old man named Eunomus encouraged him, saying his diction was very much like that of Pericles.

As a boy Demosthenes had a speech impediment: Plutarch refers to a weakness in his voice of "a perplexed and indistinct utterance and a shortness of breath, which, by breaking and disjointing his sentences Text much obscured the sense and meaning of what he spoke." Demosthenes undertook a disciplined program to overcome his weaknesses and improve his delivery, including diction, voice and gestures. According to one story, when he was asked to name the three most important elements in oratory, he replied "Delivery, delivery and delivery!"

Plutarch states that he had an inarticulate and stammering pronunciation that he got rid of by speaking with pebbles in his mouth and by repeating verses when running or out of breath. He also practiced speaking in front of a large mirror and at the seashore orating against the roar of the sea.

To make his living, Demosthenes became a professional litigant, both as a "logographer", writing speeches for use in legal suits, and advocate ("synegoros") speaking on another's behalf. He seems to have been able to manage any kind of case, adapting his skills to almost any client, including wealthy and powerful men. It is not unlikely that he became a teacher of rhetoric and that he brought pupils into court with him.

Demosthenes the Politician Demosthenes was admitted to his deme as a citizen with full rights probably in 366 BC, and he soon demonstrated an interest in politics.[38] In 363 and 359 BC, he assumed the office of the trierarch, being responsible for the outfitting and maintenance of a trireme. He was among the first ever volunteer trierarchs in 357 BC, sharing the expenses of a ship called Dawn, for which the public inscription still survives. In 348 BC, he became a choregos, paying the expenses of a theatrical production.

Most of Demosthenes' major orations were directed against the growing power of King Philip II of Macedon. Since 357 BC, when Philip seized Amphipolis, Athens had been formally at war with the Macedonians. In 352 BC, Demosthenes characterized Philip as the very worst enemy of his city; his speech presaged the fierce attacks that Demosthenes would launch against the Macedonian king over the ensuing years. A year later he criticized those dismissing Philip as a person of no account and warned that he was as dangerous as the king of Persia.

351 BC The First Philippic

350 BC The First Philippic THE RHETORICAL TRADITION Socrates Isocrates Demosthenes Cicero

350 BC The First Philippic Fame: publication of speeches sold in markets papyrus copies new literary form

338 BC Battle of Chaeronea

Philip King of Macedon and son Alexander conquer Athens 338 BC

Assassination of Philip II in ancient capital of Aegae 336

336 ASSASSINATION OF KING PHILIP In 336 BC, Philip was assassinated at the wedding of his daughter, Cleopatra of Macedon, to King Alexander of Epirus. The Macedonian army swiftly proclaimed Alexander III of Macedon, then twenty years old, as the new king of Macedon. Greek cities like Athens and Thebes saw in this change of leadership an opportunity to regain their full independence. Demosthenes celebrated Philip's assassination and played a leading part in his city's uprising. Demosthenes also sent envoys to Attalus, whom he considered to be an internal opponent of Alexander. Nonetheless, Alexander moved swiftly to Thebes, which submitted shortly after his appearance at its gates. When the Athenians learned that Alexander had moved quickly to Boeotia, they panicked and begged the new king of Macedon for mercy. Alexander admonished them but imposed no punishment.

Alexander is Proclaimed King of Macedon, 336 age 20

334, Alexander and 100,000 troops cross Hellespont

330 BC Demosthenes, "On the Crown"

Death of Alexander, Text June 10, 323 BC Death of Alexander, June 10, 323 BC in Babylon in Babylon

323 Death of Alexander 322 Death of Aristotle 322 Death of Demosthenes

THE REPUTATION OF DEMOSTHENES AS THE GREATEST ORATOR OF ALL TIME: CICERO

History of Ancient Greece Institute for the Study of Western Civilization April 15, 2019, Week 23 Demosthenes