Demosthenes' Philippics

In Our Time: History

BBC

History

4.4 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 15 December 2022

⏱️ ? minutes

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the speeches that became a byword for fierce attacks on political opponents. It was in the 4th century BC, in Athens, that Demosthenes delivered these speeches against the tyrant Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, when Philip appeared a growing threat to Athens and its allies and Demosthenes feared his fellow citizens were set on appeasement. In what became known as The Philippics, Demosthenes tried to persuade Athenians to act against Macedon before it was too late; eventually he succeeded in stirring them, even if the Macedonians later prevailed. For these speeches prompting resistance, Demosthenes became famous as one of the Athenian democracy’s greatest freedom fighters. Later, in Rome, Cicero's attacks on Mark Antony were styled on Demosthenes and these too became known as Philippics.

The image above is painted on the dome of the library of the National Assembly, Paris and is by Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863). It depicts Demosthenes haranguing the waves of the sea as a way of strengthening his voice for his speeches.

With

Paul Cartledge A. G. Leventis Senior Research Fellow at Clare College, University of Cambridge

Kathryn Tempest Reader in Latin Literature and Roman History at the University of Roehampton

And

Jon Hesk Reader in Greek and Classical Studies at the University of St Andrews

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:05.0	Thanks for downloading this episode of In Our Time.
0:07.6	There's a reading list to go with it on our website and you can get news about our
0:10.9	programs if you follow us on Twitter at BBC In Our Time.
0:14.9	I hope you enjoyed the programs.
0:17.0	Hello, in the fourth century, in Athens,
0:20.1	Damotsone's delivered speech is so powerful that it became famous as one of that democracy's
0:25.8	greatest freedom fighters.
0:28.0	His target was the tyrant Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, who to Lamotsone's
0:33.7	appeared a growing threat.
0:36.0	In what became known as the Pilipix, Damotsone's tried to persuade Athenians to act before
0:41.1	it was too late and eventually he succeeded, even if the Macedonians later prevailed.
0:47.3	We've met and discussed Lamotsone's Pilipix, Paul Cartilage, Age Elementist Senior Research
0:52.3	Fellow at Clare College University of Cambridge, Catherine Tempest, reader in Latin literature
0:57.3	and Roman history at the University of Rohemon and John Hesk read it in Greek and classical
1:01.9	studies at the universities in Tandres.
1:04.2	John Hesk, what do we know of Namostone's early life?
1:07.8	Well, Damotsone's was born in 384 BC in classical Athens, Athens is a democracy at this time
1:14.9	and he's born into an extremely wealthy family.
1:18.3	His father is called Damotsone's as well, Damotsone's senior and his father owns a weapons
1:25.3	factory, making swords and knives.
1:28.4	His mother is from a well-known Athenian family as well but later opponents of Damotsone's
	...

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