Demosthenes (384 BC – 322 BC) is generally
considered the greatest of the Attic orators,
and thus the greatest of all Ancient Greek
orators. His writings provide an insight into
the life and culture of Athens at this period of
time. He is best-known for his Philippic
Orations, urging the populace to rise up and
defend their country against Philip II of
Macedon, who was steadily gaining power
and territory for the Macedonian state. During
the reign of Philip’s son Alexander,
Demosthenes was quiet, but as soon as the
young Macedonian king died in Babylon,
Demosthenes once again stirred Greece to
rebel. The Macedonians were expelled from
Greece, but they returned with reinforcments
and defeated the Greek army in what was
known to be the “Lamian” or Hellenic War for
freedom. All the Greek leaders were executed
by the Macedonian general Antipater but
Demosthenes took poison rather than face
capture and punishment. Years later, when
the Macedonians will again be expelled from
Athens, the Greeks would erect a statue in
honor of their hero. Its inscription read:
“If thy strength had only been equal to thy
purposes, Demosthenes, never would the
Greeks have been ruled by a Macedonian
Ares”