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On the False Embassy

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156:, Philip's intentions as interpreted and presented to the Assembly by Aeschines were never materialized. Thereby, the deceitful promises and assertions of the defendant allowed Philip to fulfil undisturbed his plans. Such a stance against the city allows just one explanation: corruption and venality of the defendant. Aeschines was bribed by Philip. Throughout his speech Demosthenes strives to prove the bribery through indications, but he has no undisputed evidence. 115:(false embassy text), meaning that the accused envoys did not comply with the orders of the state because of bribery or high treason. Timarchus and Demosthenes argued that Aeschines was bribed by Philip. Aeschines counter attacked by claiming that his accuser Timarchus had forfeited the right to speak before the people as a consequence of youthful debauches which had left him with the reputation of being a whore. Timarchus had been the 76:
any Athenian possessions which he might seize before the ratification. Being very anxious about the delay, Demosthenes insisted that the embassy should repair to the place where they would find Philip and swear him in without delay. Despite his suggestions, the Athenian envoys, including himself and Aeschines, remained in Macedonia, until Philip successfully concluded his excursion in Thrace. Finally, the
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officially accepted. Nevertheless, when an Athenian delegation, comprising once again Demosthenes, Aeschines and Philocrates, travelled in 346 BC to Pella to put Philip under oath for the final conclusion of the treaty, the King of Macedon was campaigning abroad. He expected that he would hold safely
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In his speech Demosthenes points out that he accuses Aeschines not only of his actions during the second embassy (346 BC) but of his actions during the first embassy as well (347 BC). He argues that the defendant favoured Philip and accuses him of the dilatoriness of the envoys. Aeschines is held
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regards his speech as an advocacy of credulity, incompetence, and blindness. Aeschines is also criticized for not disclosing any coherent and stable political thought in his speech. He is however lauded for his eloquence, although it is argued that the essence falls short of the form.
185:). According to the same scholar, "on these occasions Demosthenes generated a war of words so intense and absolute that his two speeches are among the liveliest, most extraordinary examples of combative political argument ever produced. Of the two, 111:). Timarchus was a wealthy and powerful Athenian, whom Demosthenes wanted as an ally in his judicial assault against Aeschines. In 345 BC, Timarchus and Demosthenes accused Aeschines on a charge of high treason: 159:
In his response, Aeschines exposes all the events of the two embassies, although the official text refers only to the second one. He tries to explain the reversal of his stance towards Philip after the siege of
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in 343 Demosthenes narrowly failed to defeat Aeschines, but he attained his political objective nonetheless. Thirteen years later, in 330, Demosthenes' victory would be overwhelming (
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From this moment, a fierce and long lasting judicial combat between Demosthenes and Aeschines begins, during which five orations were delivered: three of Aeschines (
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Aeschines was finally acquitted by the narrow margin of thirty votes by a jury which may have numbered as many as 1,501. According to
164:. He argues that he was also deceived and that, if the hopes he gave to the people were not fulfilled, this was the outcome of luck. 31:) is the name of two famous judicial orations, both delivered in 343 BC by the prominent Athenian statesmen and fierce opponents, 358: 338: 694: 668: 704: 351: 144:
personally responsible by the orator for his stance in Pella and for misguiding the Athenian people. As far as
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and politically destroyed. In 343 BC, the attack against Aeschines was renewed by Demosthenes in his speech
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reasons but simply out of love of money. The suit succeeded and Timarchus was sentenced to
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to negotiate a peace treaty with the King. Philip imposed his own harsh terms that the
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In 347 BC, an Athenian delegation, comprising Demosthenes, Aeschines, and 673: 545: 475: 399: 107: 374: 64: 32: 660: 389: 165: 52: 36: 161: 116: 120: 153: 149: 128: 81: 84:, but Demosthenes accused later the other envoys of venality. 68: 56: 101:), the only speeches he ever wrote, and two of Demosthenes ( 312:"Introduction," p.22 n.71; Oxford University Press, 2001. 59:, Athens was formally in a state of war against the 373: 339:Text of the speech at the Perseus Digital Library 686: 359: 212: 234: 232: 366: 352: 229: 42: 687: 266: 249: 347: 556:Against Nausimachus and Xenopeithes 292: 290: 288: 286: 13: 14: 716: 332: 283: 119:of many men in the port city of 138: 591:Against Evergus and Mnesibulus 450:On the Liberty of the Rhodians 315: 302: 199: 172: 1: 669:Demosthenes's Funeral Oration 460:On the Accession of Alexander 310:Aeschines: Against Timarchus, 192: 7: 10: 721: 207:Athenian Political Oratory 28: 659: 468: 382: 189:is the more compelling". 67:, was officially sent to 511:Against Aristogeiton 1-2 695:Speeches by Demosthenes 611:On the Trierarcic Crown 705:Ancient Greek orations 455:For the Megalopolitans 29:Περὶ τῆς παραπρεσβείας 16:Oration by Demosthenes 586:Against Stephanos 1-2 516:Against Aphobus 1-2-3 43:Historical background 636:Against Dionysodorus 596:Against Olympiodorus 501:Against Aristocrates 481:On the False Embassy 133:On the False Embassy 103:On the False Embassy 95:On the False Embassy 78:Peace of Philocrates 49:Philip II of Macedon 21:On the False Embassy 621:Against Nicostratus 561:Against Boeotus 1-2 551:Against Pantaenetus 521:Against Ontenor 1-2 47:Since 357 BC, when 646:Against Theocrines 576:Against Macartatus 571:Against Phaenippus 531:Against Apatourius 526:Against Zenothemis 506:Against Timocrates 445:On the Navy Boards 113:παραπρεσβεία γραφή 682: 681: 641:Against Eubulides 631:Against Callicles 601:Against Timotheus 581:Against Leochares 496:Against Androtion 415:On the Chersonese 410:On the Halonnesus 321:Pseudo-Plutarch, 90:Against Timarchus 712: 616:Against Callipus 606:Against Polycles 541:Against Lacritus 486:Against Leptines 425:Fourth Philippic 405:Second Philippic 390:Olynthiacs 1-2-3 368: 361: 354: 345: 344: 326: 319: 313: 306: 300: 294: 281: 270: 264: 253: 247: 236: 227: 216: 210: 203: 30: 720: 719: 715: 714: 713: 711: 710: 709: 685: 684: 683: 678: 655: 566:Against Spudias 536:Against Phormio 491:Against Meidias 464: 440:On Organisation 430:Reply to Philip 420:Third Philippic 395:First Philippic 378: 372: 335: 330: 329: 320: 316: 307: 303: 295: 284: 271: 267: 254: 250: 237: 230: 220:Third Philippic 217: 213: 204: 200: 195: 175: 141: 45: 17: 12: 11: 5: 718: 708: 707: 702: 697: 680: 679: 677: 676: 671: 665: 663: 657: 656: 654: 653: 651:Against Neaera 648: 643: 638: 633: 628: 623: 618: 613: 608: 603: 598: 593: 588: 583: 578: 573: 568: 563: 558: 553: 548: 543: 538: 533: 528: 523: 518: 513: 508: 503: 498: 493: 488: 483: 478: 472: 470: 466: 465: 463: 462: 457: 452: 447: 442: 437: 432: 427: 422: 417: 412: 407: 402: 397: 392: 386: 384: 380: 379: 371: 370: 363: 356: 348: 342: 341: 334: 333:External links 331: 328: 327: 314: 301: 282: 265: 248: 228: 211: 197: 196: 194: 191: 174: 171: 140: 137: 44: 41: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 717: 706: 703: 701: 698: 696: 693: 692: 690: 675: 672: 670: 667: 666: 664: 662: 658: 652: 649: 647: 644: 642: 639: 637: 634: 632: 629: 627: 626:Against Conon 624: 622: 619: 617: 614: 612: 609: 607: 604: 602: 599: 597: 594: 592: 589: 587: 584: 582: 579: 577: 574: 572: 569: 567: 564: 562: 559: 557: 554: 552: 549: 547: 544: 542: 539: 537: 534: 532: 529: 527: 524: 522: 519: 517: 514: 512: 509: 507: 504: 502: 499: 497: 494: 492: 489: 487: 484: 482: 479: 477: 474: 473: 471: 467: 461: 458: 456: 453: 451: 448: 446: 443: 441: 438: 436: 433: 431: 428: 426: 423: 421: 418: 416: 413: 411: 408: 406: 403: 401: 398: 396: 393: 391: 388: 387: 385: 381: 376: 369: 364: 362: 357: 355: 350: 349: 346: 340: 337: 336: 324: 318: 311: 308:Nick Fisher, 305: 298: 293: 291: 289: 287: 279: 275: 272:Demosthenes, 269: 262: 258: 255:Demosthenes, 252: 245: 241: 238:Demosthenes, 235: 233: 225: 221: 218:Demosthenes, 215: 208: 205:D. Phillips, 202: 198: 190: 188: 184: 180: 170: 167: 163: 157: 155: 151: 147: 136: 134: 130: 126: 122: 118: 114: 110: 109: 104: 100: 96: 92: 91: 85: 83: 80:was sworn in 79: 74: 70: 66: 62: 58: 54: 50: 40: 38: 34: 26: 25:Ancient Greek 22: 674:Erotic Essay 546:For Phormion 480: 476:On the Crown 400:On the Peace 322: 317: 309: 304: 296: 274:On the Crown 273: 268: 257:On the Crown 256: 251: 240:On the Crown 239: 219: 214: 206: 201: 187:On the Crown 186: 183:On the Crown 182: 176: 158: 142: 139:The speeches 132: 112: 108:On the Crown 106: 102: 99:On the Crown 98: 94: 88: 86: 46: 20: 18: 377:'s orations 375:Demosthenes 173:The outcome 65:Philocrates 61:Macedonians 33:Demosthenes 689:Categories 661:Epideictic 297:The Helios 193:References 166:Henri Weil 125:pederastic 53:Amphipolis 383:Political 323:Aeschines 37:Aeschines 469:Judicial 179:H. Yunis 162:Olynthus 117:eromenos 73:Ecclesia 325:, 840c. 121:Piraeus 51:seized 700:343 BC 435:Philip 154:Phocis 150:Thrace 146:Thebes 129:atimia 82:Pherae 244:25-27 209:, 69. 69:Pella 57:Pydna 152:and 55:and 35:and 23:" ( 691:: 285:^ 278:31 276:, 261:30 259:, 242:, 231:^ 224:15 222:, 148:, 135:. 105:, 97:, 93:, 39:. 27:: 367:e 360:t 353:v 299:. 280:. 263:. 246:. 226:. 19:"

Index

Ancient Greek
Demosthenes
Aeschines
Philip II of Macedon
Amphipolis
Pydna
Macedonians
Philocrates
Pella
Ecclesia
Peace of Philocrates
Pherae
Against Timarchus
On the Crown
eromenos
Piraeus
pederastic
atimia
Thebes
Thrace
Phocis
Olynthus
Henri Weil
H. Yunis
15


25-27
30
31

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