Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
Conquered shall weep, and conqueror perish there.
Demosthenes had secret intelligence of the death of Philip, and
laying hold of this opportunity to prepossess the people with
courage and better hopes for the future, he came into the
assembly with a cheerful countenance, pretending to have had a
dream that presaged some great good fortune for Athens; and, not
long after, arrived the messengers who brought the news of
Philip's death. No sooner had the people received it but
immediately they offered sacrifice to the gods, and decreed that
Pausanias should be presented with a crown. Demosthenes
appeared publicly in a rich dress, with a chaplet on his head,
though it were but the seventh day since the death of his
daughter, as is said by Aeschines, who upbraids him upon this
account, and rails at him as one void of natural affection
towards his children. Whereas, indeed, he rather betrays
himself to be of a poor, low spirit, and effeminate mind, if he
really means to make wailings and lamentation the only signs of
a gentle and affectionate nature, and to condemn those who bear
such accidents with more temper and less passion. For my own
part, I cannot say that the behavior of the Athenians on this
occasion was wise or honorable, to crown themselves with
garlands and to sacrifice to the Gods for the death of a Prince
who, in the midst of his success and victories, when they were a
conquered people, had used them with so much clemency and
humanity. For besides provoking fortune, it was a base thing,
and unworthy in itself, to make him a citizen of Athens, and pay
him honors while he lived, and yet as soon as he fell by
another's hand, to set no bounds to their jollity, to insult
over him dead, and to sing triumphant songs of victory, as if by
their own valor they had vanquished him. I must at the same
time commend the behavior of Demosthenes, who, leaving tears and
lamentations and domestic sorrows to the women, made it his
business to attend to the interests of the commonwealth. And I
think it the duty of him who would be accounted to have a soul
truly valiant, and fit for government, that, standing always
firm to the common good, and letting private griefs and troubles
find their compensation in public blessings, he should maintain
the dignity of his character and station, much more than actors
who represent the persons of kings and tyrants, who, we see,
when they either laugh or weep on the stage, follow, not their
own private inclinations, but the course consistent with the
subject and with their position. And if, moreover, when our
neighbor is in misfortune, it is not our duty to forbear
offering any consolation, but rather to say whatever may tend to
cheer him, and to invite his attention to any agreeable objects,
just as we tell people who are troubled with sore eyes, to
withdraw their sight from bright and offensive colors to green,
and those of a softer mixture, from whence can a man seek, in
his own case, better arguments of consolation for afflictions in
his family, than from the prosperity of his country, by making
public and domestic chances count, so to say, together, and the
better fortune of the state obscure and conceal the less happy
circumstances of the individual. I have been induced to say so
much, because I have known many readers melted by Aeschines's
language into a soft and unmanly tenderness.
But now to return to my narrative. The cities of Greece were
inspirited once more by the efforts of Demosthenes to form a
league together. The Thebans, whom he had provided with arms,
set upon their garrison, and slew many of them; the Athenians
made preparations to join their forces with them; Demosthenes
ruled supreme in the popular assembly, and wrote letters to the
Persian officers who commanded under the king in Asia, inciting
them to make war upon the Macedonian, calling him child and
simpleton. But as soon as Alexander had settled matters in his
own country, and came in person with his army into Boeotia, down
fell the courage of the Athenians, and Demosthenes was hushed;
the Thebans, deserted by them, fought by themselves, and lost
their city. After which, the people of Athens, all in distress
and great perplexity, resolved to send ambassadors to Alexander,
and amongst others, made choice of Demosthenes for one; but his
heart failing him for fear of the king's anger, he returned back
from Cithaeron, and left the embassy. In the meantime,
Alexander sent to Athens, requiring ten of their orators to be
delivered up to him, as Idomeneus and Duris have reported, but
as the most and best historians say, he demanded these eight
only: Demosthenes, Polyeuctus, Ephialtes, Lycurgus, Moerocles,
Demon, Callisthenes, and Charidemus. It was upon this occasion
that Demosthenes related to them the fable in which the sheep
are said to deliver up their dogs to the wolves; himself and
those who with him contended for the people's safety, being, in
his comparison, the dogs that defended the flock, and Alexander
"the Macedonian arch wolf." He further told them, "As we see
corn-masters sell their whole stock by a few grains of wheat
which they carry about with them in a dish, as a sample of the
rest, so you, by delivering up us, who are but a few, do at the
same time unawares surrender up yourselves all together with
us;" so we find it related in the history of Aristobulus, the
Cassandrian. The Athenians were deliberating, and at a loss
what to do, when Demades, having agreed with the persons whom
Alexander had demanded, for five talents, undertook to go
ambassador, and to intercede with the king for them; and,
whether it was that he relied on his friendship and kindness, or
that he hoped to find him satiated, as a lion glutted with
slaughter, he certainly went, and prevailed with him both to
pardon the men, and to be reconciled to the city.
So he and his friends, when Alexander went away, were great men,
and Demosthenes was quite put aside. Yet when Agis, the
Spartan, made his insurrection, he also for a short time
attempted a movement in his favor; but he soon shrunk back
again, as the Athenians would not take any part in it, and, Agis
being slain, the Lacedaemonians were vanquished. During this
time it was that the indictment against Ctesiphon, concerning
the Crown, was brought to trial. The action was commenced a
little before the battle in Chaeronea, when Chaerondas was
archon, but it was not proceeded with till about ten years
after, Aristophon being then archon. Never was any public cause
more celebrated than this, alike for the fame of the orators,
and for the generous courage of the judges, who, though at that
time the accusers of Demosthenes were in the height of power,
and supported by all the favor of the Macedonians, yet would not
give judgment against him, but acquitted him so honorably, that
Aeschines did not obtain the fifth part of their suffrages on
his side, so that, immediately after, he left the city, and
spent the rest of his life in teaching rhetoric about the island
of Rhodes, and upon the continent in Ionia.
It was not long after that Harpalus fled from Alexander, and
came to Athens out of Asia; knowing himself guilty of many
misdeeds into which his love of luxury had led him, and fearing
the king, who was now grown terrible even to his best friends.
Yet this man had no sooner addressed himself to the people, and
delivered up his goods, his ships, and himself to their
disposal, but the other orators of the town had their eyes
quickly fixed upon his money, and came in to his assistance,
persuading the Athenians to receive and protect their suppliant.
Demosthenes at first gave advice to chase him out of the
country, and to beware lest they involved their city in a war
upon an unnecessary and unjust occasion. But some few days
after, as they were taking an account of the treasure, Harpalus,
perceiving how much he was pleased with a cup of Persian
manufacture, and how curiously he surveyed the sculpture and
fashion of it, desired him to poise it in his hand, and consider
the weight of the gold. Demosthenes, being amazed to feel how
heavy it was, asked him what weight it came to. "To you," said
Harpalus, smiling, "it shall come with twenty talents." And
presently after, when night drew on, he sent him the cup with so
many talents. Harpalus, it seems, was a person of singular
skill to discern a man's covetousness by the air of his
countenance, and the look and movements of his eyes. For
Demosthenes could not resist the temptation, but admitting the
present, like an armed garrison, into the citadel of his house,
he surrendered himself up to the interest of Harpalus. The next
day, he came into the assembly with his neck swathed about with
wool and rollers, and when they called on him to rise up and
speak, he made signs as if he had lost his voice. But the wits,
turning the matter to ridicule, said that certainly the orator
had been seized that night with no other than a silver quinsy.
And soon after, the people, becoming aware of the bribery, grew
angry, and would not suffer him to speak, or make any apology
for himself, but ran him down with noise; and one man stood up,
and cried out, "What, ye men of Athens, will you not hear the
cup-bearer?" So at length they banished Harpalus out of the
city; and fearing lest they should be called to account for the
treasure which the orators had purloined, they made a strict
inquiry, going from house to house; only Callicles, the son of
Arrhenidas, who was newly married, they would not suffer to be
searched, out of respect, as Theopompus writes, to the bride,
who was within.
Demosthenes resisted the inquisition, and proposed a decree to
refer the business to the court of Areopagus, and to punish
those whom that court should find guilty. But being himself one
of the first whom the court condemned, when he came to the bar,
he was fined fifty talents, and committed to prison; where, out
of shame of the crime for which he was condemned, and through
the weakness of his body, growing incapable of supporting the
confinement, he made his escape, by the carelessness of some and
by the connivance of others of the citizens. We are told, at
least, that he had not fled far from the city, when, finding
that he was pursued by some of those who had been his
adversaries, he endeavored to hide himself. But when they
called him by his name, and coming up nearer to him, desired he
would accept from them some money which they had brought from
home as a provision for his journey, and to that purpose only
had followed him, when they entreated him to take courage, and
to bear up against his misfortune, he burst out into much
greater lamentation, saying, "But how is it possible to support
myself under so heavy an affliction, since I leave a city in
which I have such enemies, as in any other it is not easy to
find friends." He did not show much fortitude in his
banishment, spending his time for the most part in Aegina and
Troezen, and, with tears in his eyes, looking towards the
country of Attica. And there remain upon record some sayings of
his, little resembling those sentiments of generosity and
bravery which he used to express when he had the management of
the commonwealth. For, as he was departing out of the city, it
is reported, he lifted up his hands towards the Acropolis, and
said, "O Lady Minerva, how is it that thou takest delight in
three such fierce untractable beast, the owl, the snake, and the
people?" The young men that came to visit and converse with
him, he deterred from meddling with state affairs, telling them,
that if at first two ways had been proposed to him, the one
leading to the speaker's stand and the assembly, the other going