SPEECHES - DEMOSTHENES

Discover the fascinating world of ancient Greece through the collection of speeches by Demosthenes, an outstanding Athenian speaker and politician. This is not only a read for history buffs, but also an inspiration for modern leaders and orators. Immerse yourself in the richness of language and argumentation that shaped the fate of ancient Athens.

• Insightful political and social analyses
• Masterful examples of rhetoric and persuasion
• Universal message about freedom and justice
• Collection of essays and speeches by Demosthenes
• Inspiration for modern leaders

In Demosthenes, we usually see primarily the tireless advocate of the freedom of Greece, or, as some would say, the imperial ambitions of his native Athens. The speeches, the translation and elaboration of which we hand over to the reader, however, go against these expectations. Only one, Against Aristocrates, touches on issues of great politics, and at the same time clearly fits into a more cynical assessment of Demosthenes' activities. The remaining four were written and delivered exclusively for internal use, which also does not fully meet our expectations of an ancient statesman.

The speech Against Leptines is a rather short-sighted attempt to overthrow the fiscal reforms that were supposed to remedy the enormous crisis that Athens fell into in the mid-4th century BC. The speeches Against Androtion and Against Timocrates, written for the same client, are examples of a ruthless judicial vendetta, only slightly glossed over with concern for the rule of law in the state. In the speech Against Meidias, we finally get an insight into the backstage of a personal quarrel between Demosthenes and his judicial adversary. Demosthenes was undoubtedly an outstanding politician, speaker and creator. The speeches, however, remind us that he should not be identified with a monument that is too often and too hastily erected for him.

Demosthenes (384-322 BC) is the greatest speaker of ancient Athens and Greco-Roman antiquity in general. As a statesman, he devoted his life and rhetorical skill to preventing Macedonian expansion under the leadership of Philip II, and later Alexander the Great himself, as evidenced, among other things, by his four Philippics. As a legally skilled politician, who does not shy away from pathos, but also from vulgar invective, he appears in the speeches contained in this volume. His death coincided with the end of Athenian independence and the end of the classical era of the history and culture of ancient Greece. The Scientific Publishing House PWN presents this edition in a paperback cover, with 610 pages in the format 187x125 mm. Year of publication: 2023.