Demosthenes (384–322 BC) is considered the greatest orator of antiquity, not only for his rhetorical style. He intertwined his life and work with the political history of Athens and Greece. As a supporter of democracy, he opposed the growing influence of the Macedonian ruler Philip II and the Macedonian expansion, as he was the first to recognize the danger threatening Greek independence. He prompted the formation of a coalition of Greek states to fight against Philip and took the lead in it. His famous speeches, which he used to combat the powerful adversary, were aptly named Philippics. After the coalition's defeat, he was sentenced to death and escaped by his own hand. An impressive collection of 60 speeches and other texts has survived under his name. With his distinctive style, formal perfection, and intellectual content, he influenced the development of oratory as a genre and had admirers and followers from antiquity, starting with the greatest Roman orator Cicero, all the way to modern times. His speeches were translated and studied as a model, and his life and political career were extensively described and evaluated. The book is supplemented with a number of black-and-white photographs and illustrations.
