Orations of Demosthenes: Pronounced to Excite the Athenians Against Philip, King of Macedon, and on Occasions of Public Deliberation, Volume 21 |
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Common terms and phrases
accused actions Æschines affairs affected Alexander alliance allies ambassadors Amphictyons Amphipolis Amphissa ancestors appear appointed archonship arms army assembly assert assistance Athenians Athens attempt attend Attica Byzantium calamities called cause Cersobleptes Chæronea Chersonesus citizens command conduct countrymen crown Ctesiphon danger declare decree defence Delphos Demosthenes Diopithes enemies engaged Eubœa expedition favor fellow-citizens forces fortune give grant Greece Greeks hath Hellespont honor hundred impeachment insolence instances interest Iphicrates justice king Lacedæmon Lacedæmonians laws liberty Macedon Macedonian means measures never obliged occasion Olynthians Olynthus once oppose orator Oreum peace Peloponnesus Perinthus Persian persons Philip Philocrates Phocians Phocis possessed present pretence proclamation proposed prove punishment pursued raised received regard secure Senate sent sentiments ships speak speaker talents territory Thebans Thebes Thermopylæ Thessalians Thessaly thou Thrace tion transactions treaty tribe trierarchs truth urged utmost whole wretched yourselves
Popular passages
Page 440 - Was he not to secure Euboea as our defence against all attacks by sea? Was he not to make Bceotia our barrier on the midland side?
Page 444 - And in this affection you find me firm and invariable. Not the solemn demand of my person, not the vengeance of the Amphictyonic council which they denounced against me, not the terror of their threatenings, not the flattery of their promises, no, nor the fury of those accursed wretches, whom they roused like wild beasts against me, could ever tear this affection from my breast.
Page 39 - I should be superior to you, who are wholly engaged in contriving delays, and framing decrees, and inquiring after news. I am not surprised at this, for the contrary must have been surprising : if we, who never act, in any single...
Page 332 - ... prizes to a few, and those the most worthy, and on such conditions as the laws prescribe, you will have many champions in this contest of merit. But if you gratify any man that pleases, or those who can secure the strongest interest, you will be the means of corrupting the very best natural dispositions. That you may conceive the force of what I here advance, I must explain myself still more clearly. Which, think ye, was the more worthy citizen — Themistocles, who commanded your fleet when...
Page 416 - ... had you bellowed out your terrible denunciations (you, whose voice was never heard) ; yet, even in such a case, must this city have pursued the very same conduct if she had retained a thought of glory, of her ancestors, or of future times : for thus she could only have been deemed unfortunate in her attempts ; and misfortunes are the lot of all men whenever it may please Heaven to inflict them.
Page 16 - Athenians, what is the reason (think ye) that the public festivals in honour of Minerva and of Bacchus are always celebrated at the appointed time, whether the direction of them falls to the lot of men of eminence, or of persons less distinguished: (festivals which cost more treasure than is usually expended upon a whole navy ; and more numbers and greater preparations, than any one perhaps ever cost) while your expeditions have been all too late, as that to Methone, that to Pegasai, that to Potidaea.
Page 54 - Thebans engaged at home ; and not one of all the other states of consequence sufficient to dispute the sovereignty with us. Yet, at a time when we might have enjoyed our own dominions in security, and been the umpires in all disputes abroad, our territories have been wrested from us ; we have expended above one thousand five hundred talents to no purpose ; the...
Page 385 - Athenians with the following letter ; " Philip King of Macedon, to the senate and people of Athens, Health. I have received three of your citizens in quality of ambassadors, who have conferred with me about the release of certain ships, commanded by Leodamas.
Page 434 - I shall admit this charge, although experience has convinced me, that what is called the power of eloquence, depends, for the most part, upon the hearers, and that the characters of public speakers are determined by that degree of...
Page 19 - ... is in ourselves; and that, if we are not inclined to carry our arms abroad, we should be forced to engage him at home.


