Demosthenes of Athens and the Fall of Classical Greece

Demosthenes (384-322 BC) lived through and profoundly shaped one of the most eventful epochs in antiquity. His political career spanned three decades, during which time Greece fell victim to Macedonian control, first under Philip II and then Alexander the Great. Demosthenes' resolute and courageous defiance of Philip cost him his life but earned for him a reputation as one of history's outstanding patriots. He also enjoyed a brilliant and lucrative career as a speechwriter, and his rhetorical skills are still emulated today by students and politicians alike. Yet he was a sickly child with an embarrassing speech impediment, who was swindled out of much of his family's estate by unscrupulous guardians after the death of his father. His story is therefore one of triumph over adversity. In this new biography--the first ever written in English for a popular audience--historian Ian Worthington brings the great orator's career vividly to life. He provides a moving narrative of Demosthenes' humble and difficult beginnings, the obstacles he faced in his public career, the fierce rivalries with other Athenian politicians, his successes and failures, and finally his posthumous influence as a politician and orator. In doing so, the author offers new insights into Demosthenes' motives and how he shaped his policy to achieve political power. Set against the rich backdrop of late classical Greece and Macedonia, this biography will appeal to all readers interested in ancient history.

Ian Worthington is Professor of History at the University of Missouri and author of, most recently, Alexander the Great: Man and God and Philip II of Macedonia.

Preface
Acknowledgements
List of Illustrations and Maps
Demosthenes' Life: The Main Events
Speech Numbers and Titles
Quotations and Abbreviations
Chapter 1. Preamble: "Politicians and Heroes"
Chapter 2. Demosthenes, Son of Demosthenes
Chapter 3. Greece and the Awakening of Macedonia
Chapter 4. Into the Public Eye
Chapter 5. The Aspiring Politician
Chapter 6. Swaying the Assembly
Chapter 7. An Uneasy Peace
Chapter 8. Resisting Philip
Chapter 9. "Speeches Like Soldiers"
Chapter 10. The End of Greek Freedom
Chapter 11. "For the Conqueror, Death"
Chapter 12. Demosthenes and Alexander the Great
Chapter 13. The Crown Trial
Chapter 14. Decline and Fall
Chapter 15. Poison from the Pen
Appendix: Ancient Coinage and Months of the Attic Year
Bibliography
Index