Demosthenes

Demosthenes (384–322 BCE) was an Athenian statesman and the most celebrated orator of Classical Greece. Active in the political life of Athens, he became a leading voice for resistance to the expansion of Philip II of Macedon. His speeches known as the *Philippics* and related orations urged Greek unity and warned against Macedonian dominance. Demosthenes also delivered major forensic and public speeches that shaped Athenian policy debates in the fourth century BCE. After Macedon’s victory at Chaeronea (338 BCE), he remained influential in Athens. Following the rise of Alexander the Great, he was pursued by Macedonian authorities and died in 322 BCE.