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Demosthenes

File:Demosthenes_Polyeuctos_Louvre_Ma237_n01.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Demosthenes

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Also known as Dimosthenis

Demosthenes (; ; ; 384 – 12 October 322 BC) was a Greek statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide insight into the politics and culture of ancient Greece during the 4th century BC. Demosthenes learned rhetoric by studying the speeches of previous great orators. He delivered his first judicial speeches at the age of 20, in which he successfully argued that he should gain from his guardians what was left of his inheritance. For a time, Demosthenes made his living as a professional s

AI overview

Demosthenes was an ancient Greek statesman and orator from Athens (384–322 BC) whose speeches are important historical documents that reveal much about Greek politics and intellectual life during the 4th century BC. He became a professional speaker after teaching himself rhetoric by studying earlier orators and winning his first legal cases as a young man.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Born
384 B.C.
Died
322 B.C.
Works
437

Top works

  • Harangue sur la couronne
  • Ausgewählte reden des Demosthenes
  • The oration of Demosthenes on the crown
  • Demosthenis Orationes ex recensione Guilielmi Dindorfii ...
  • Demosthenis, Graecorum Oratorum Principis, Olynthiacae orationes tres, & Philippicae quatuor

via Open Library + Wikidata

Music · MusicBrainz

Type
Person

via MusicBrainz · CC0

Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners
77
Total plays
236

<a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Demosthenes">Read more on Last.fm</a>

via Last.fm · Demosthenes

Quotes

  • πρὸς γὰρ τὸ τελευταῖον ἐκβὰν ἕκαστον τῶν προϋπαρξάντων κρίνεται.
  • τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐπιτιμᾶν ἴσως φήσαι τις ἂν ῥᾴδιον καὶ παντὸς εἶναι, τὸ δ᾿ ὑπὲρ τῶν παρόντων ὅ τι δεῖ πράττειν ἀποφαίνεσθαι, τοῦτ᾿ εἶναι συμβούλου.
  • δεῖ δὲ χρημάτων, καὶ ἄνευ τούτων οὐδὲν ἔστι γενέσθαι τῶν δεόντων.
  • τὸ γὰρ εὖ πράττειν παρὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀφορμὴ τοῦ κακῶς φρονεῖν τοῖς ἀνοήτοις γίγνεται.
  • πολλάκις δοκεῖ τὸ φυλάξαι τἀγαθὰ τοῦ κτήσασθαι χαλεπώτερον εἶναι.
  • οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, ἀδικοῦντα καὶ ἐπιορκοῦντα καὶ ψευδόμενον δύναμιν βεβαίαν κτήσασθαι.

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

Key facts

Person.name
Demosthenes
Person.image
Demosthenes Polyeuctos Louvre Ma237 n01.jpg
Person.caption
Bust of Demosthenes (Louvre, Paris, France)
Person.native_name
Δημοσθένης
Person.native_name_lang
el
Person.birth_date
384&nbsp;BC
Person.birth_place
Athens
Person.death_date
12 October 322&nbsp;BC (aged 62)
Person.death_place
Kalaureia, Macedon
Person.occupation
Logographer

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image
Demosthenes orator Louvre.jpg
Show 7 more facts
Commons category
Demosthenes
date of birth
0384-01-01
date of death
0322-10-12
name in native language
Δημοσθένης
Commons Creator page
Demosthenes
Sources (8)

via Wikidata · CC0

Works in European collections

36 objects attributed to Demosthenes, held across European museums, libraries & archives · via Europeana

Demosthenis et Aeschinis principum Graeciae oratorum Opera. 4.

Demosthenis et Aeschinis principum Graeciae oratorum Opera. 4.

Works. 14 = Abbot 3

Works. 14 = Abbot 3

Demosthenis et Aeschinis que exstant omnia. 9, Demosthenes latine

Demosthenis et Aeschinis que exstant omnia. 9, Demosthenes latine

Gnomologia Demosthenica: hoc est, sententiae breves et illustres ex Demosthene et Aeschine Graecorum oratorum principibus ad linguae Graecae elegant copiam, rerumque multivariam cognitionem comparandam 3, Tertius tomus sententiarum, e decem orationibus Demosthenis forensibus publicis, Graecolatinus

Gnomologia Demosthenica: hoc est, sententiae breves et illustres ex Demosthene et Aeschine Graecorum oratorum principibus ad linguae Graecae elegant copiam, rerumque multivariam cognitionem comparandam 3, Tertius tomus sententiarum, e decem orationibus Demosthenis forensibus publicis, Graecolatinus

Demosthenis Orationes Olynthiacae tres, et quatuor Philippicae: cum quibusdam alijs eiusdem argumenti nunc primùm adiectis in usum puerorum recte Graece discere cupientium separatim editae

Demosthenis Orationes Olynthiacae tres, et quatuor Philippicae: cum quibusdam alijs eiusdem argumenti nunc primùm adiectis in usum puerorum recte Graece discere cupientium separatim editae

Demosthenis et Aeschinis que exstant omnia. 1, Praefationes... et Demosthenis Philippicae et suasoriae

Demosthenis et Aeschinis que exstant omnia. 1, Praefationes... et Demosthenis Philippicae et suasoriae

Oratio de pace, graece; accedunt notae, scholia et Andreae Dunaei praelectiones

Oratio de pace, graece; accedunt notae, scholia et Andreae Dunaei praelectiones

Works. 5 = Abbot 1

Works. 5 = Abbot 1

Oratio adversus Leptinem cum argumentis graece et latine: Recensuit cum apparatu critico copiosissimo edidit Dr. J. Th. Voemelius

Oratio adversus Leptinem cum argumentis graece et latine: Recensuit cum apparatu critico copiosissimo edidit Dr. J. Th. Voemelius

Demosthenis Et Aeschinis Quae Supersunt Omnia. 1, Tomus ..., Continens universas quae ad Philippum pertinent conciones, et hujus epistolam

Demosthenis Et Aeschinis Quae Supersunt Omnia. 1, Tomus ..., Continens universas quae ad Philippum pertinent conciones, et hujus epistolam

Demosthenes' Werke :Griechisch und Deutsch mit kritischen und erklärenden Anmerkungen. 4, Demosthenes' halonnesische, vierte philippische und gegen Philipps Manifest gerichtete Rede nebst diesem Manifeste

Demosthenes' Werke :Griechisch und Deutsch mit kritischen und erklärenden Anmerkungen. 4, Demosthenes' halonnesische, vierte philippische und gegen Philipps Manifest gerichtete Rede nebst diesem Manifeste

Demosthenis et Aeschinis principum Graeciae oratorum Opera. 5.

Demosthenis et Aeschinis principum Graeciae oratorum Opera. 5.

Works. 15 = Abbot 3

Works. 15 = Abbot 3

Demosthenes' Werke :Griechisch und Deutsch mit kritischen und erklärenden Anmerkungen. 9

Demosthenes' Werke :Griechisch und Deutsch mit kritischen und erklärenden Anmerkungen. 9

Prints and copies by Daniel Schilling

Prints and copies by Daniel Schilling

Demosthenis and Aeschini’s speeches. 3

Demosthenis and Aeschini’s speeches. 3

Demosthenis Orationes

Demosthenis Orationes

Demosthenis Orationes

Demosthenis Orationes

Demosthenis Orationes quaedam

Demosthenis Orationes quaedam

Demosthenis Olynthiacae Orationes

Demosthenis Olynthiacae Orationes

Demosthenis Paragraphe ad Nausimachum et Xenopithen

Demosthenis Paragraphe ad Nausimachum et Xenopithen

Demosthenes

Demosthenes

Demosthenes

Demosthenes

Demosthenes

Demosthenes

Demosthenes Orationes quaedam

Demosthenes Orationes quaedam

Demosthenis Orationes

Demosthenis Orationes

Demosthenis Orationes

Demosthenis Orationes

Les Philippiques [Printed Text]

Les Philippiques [Printed Text]

Demosthenis et Aeschinis principum Graeciae oratorum Opera : cum utriusq[ue], autoris vita & Ulpiani commentariis, nouisq[ue], scholiis, ex quarta, eaque postrema recognitione, graecolatina : sex codicum impressorum [et] inter hos Parisiensis nuper editi duorum manuscriptorum alterius Pannonii. alterius ex Augustina Bibliotheca... collatione : à mendis repurgata, uariis lectionibus adaucta, annotationibus illustrata

Demosthenis et Aeschinis principum Graeciae oratorum Opera : cum utriusq[ue], autoris vita & Ulpiani commentariis, nouisq[ue], scholiis, ex quarta, eaque postrema recognitione, graecolatina : sex codicum impressorum [et] inter hos Parisiensis nuper editi duorum manuscriptorum alterius Pannonii. alterius ex Augustina Bibliotheca... collatione : à mendis repurgata, uariis lectionibus adaucta, annotationibus illustrata

Demosthenis Oratorum Graeciae principis opera, quae ad nostram aetatem per venerunt omnia

Demosthenis Oratorum Graeciae principis opera, quae ad nostram aetatem per venerunt omnia

Demosthenis... operae, quae ad nostram aetatem peruenerunt, omnia [Texto impreso]

Demosthenis... operae, quae ad nostram aetatem peruenerunt, omnia [Texto impreso]

Orazioni scelte volgarizzate da Luigi Anelli

Orazioni scelte volgarizzate da Luigi Anelli

Orationes ed. G. Dindorfius

Orationes ed. G. Dindorfius

Œuvres Complettes De Dèmosthene Et D'Eschine, Traduites En François, Avec des Remarques sur les Harangues & Plaidoyers de ces deux Orateurs, & des Notes critiques & grammaticales en latin, sur le texte grec ... Par M. l'Abbé Auger ...

Œuvres Complettes De Dèmosthene Et D'Eschine, Traduites En François, Avec des Remarques sur les Harangues & Plaidoyers de ces deux Orateurs, & des Notes critiques & grammaticales en latin, sur le texte grec ... Par M. l'Abbé Auger ...

Orazioni volgarizzate da Luigi Anelli

Orazioni volgarizzate da Luigi Anelli

Aringhe trad. da Melchior Cesarotti

Aringhe trad. da Melchior Cesarotti

~72 min read

Article

31 sections
Contents
  • Early years and personal life
  • Family and personal life
  • Education
  • Speech training
  • Career
  • Legal career
  • Early political activity
  • Confrontation with Philip II
  • First Philippic and the Olynthiacs (351–349&nbsp;BC)
  • Case of Meidias (348&nbsp;BC)
  • Peace of Philocrates (347–345&nbsp;BC)
  • Second and Third Philippics (344–341&nbsp;BC)
  • Battle of Chaeronea (338&nbsp;BC)
  • Last political initiatives and death
  • Confrontation with Alexander
  • Delivery of ''On the Crown''
  • Case of Harpalus and death
  • Assessments
  • Political career
  • Oratorical skill
  • Rhetorical legacy
  • Works and transmission
  • Later honours
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References
  • Sources
  • Primary sources (Greeks and Romans)
  • Secondary sources
  • Further reading
  • External links

Demosthenes (; ; ; 384 – 12 October 322&nbsp;BC) was a Greek statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide insight into the politics and culture of ancient Greece during the 4th century&nbsp;BC. Demosthenes learned rhetoric by studying the speeches of previous great orators. He delivered his first judicial speeches at the age of 20, in which he successfully argued that he should gain from his guardians what was left of his inheritance. For a time, Demosthenes made his living as a professional speechwriter (logographer) and a lawyer, writing speeches for use in private legal suits.

Demosthenes grew interested in politics during his time as a logographer, and in 354&nbsp;BC he gave his first public political speeches. He went on to devote his most productive years to opposing Macedon's expansion. He idealized his city and strove throughout his life to restore Athens's supremacy and motivate his compatriots against Philip II of Macedon. He sought to preserve his city's freedom and to establish an alliance against Macedon, in an unsuccessful attempt to impede Philip's plans to expand his influence southward, conquering the Greek states.

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