Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
direct to destruction, and he could have foreseen the many evils
which attend those who deal in public business, such as fears,
envies, calumnies, and contentions, he would certainly have
taken that which led straight on to his death.
But now happened the death of Alexander, while Demosthenes was
in this banishment which we have been speaking of. And the
Grecians were once again up in arms, encouraged by the brave
attempts of Leosthenes, who was then drawing a circumvallation
about Antipater, whom he held close besieged in Lamia. Pytheas,
therefore, the orator, and Callimedon, called the Crab, fled
from Athens, and taking sides with Antipater, went about with
his friends and ambassadors to keep the Grecians from revolting
and taking part with the Athenians. But, on the other side,
Demosthenes, associating himself with the ambassadors that came
from Athens, used his utmost endeavors and gave them his best
assistance in persuading the cities to fall unanimously upon the
Macedonians, and to drive them out of Greece. Phylarchus says
that in Arcadia there happened a rencounter between Pytheas and
Demosthenes, which came at last to downright railing, while the
one pleaded for the Macedonians, and the other for the Grecians.
Pytheas said, that as we always suppose there is some disease in
the family to which they bring asses' milk, so wherever there
comes an embassy from Athens, that city must needs be
indisposed. And Demosthenes answered him, retorting the
comparison: "Asses' milk is brought to restore health, and the
Athenians come for the safety and recovery of the sick." With
this conduct the people of Athens were so well pleased, that
they decreed the recall of Demosthenes from banishment. The
decree was brought in by Demon the Paeanian, cousin to
Demosthenes. So they sent him a ship to Aegina, and he landed at
the port of Piraeus, where he was met and joyfully received by
all the citizens, not so much as an Archon or a priest staying
behind. And Demetrius, the Magnesian, says, that he lifted up
his hands towards heaven, and blessed this day of his happy
return, as far more honorable than that of Alcibiades; since he
was recalled by his countrymen, not through any force or
constraint put upon them, but by their own good-will and free
inclinations. There remained only his pecuniary fine, which,
according to law, could not be remitted by the people. But they
found out a way to elude the law. It was a custom with them to
allow a certain quantity of silver to those who were to furnish
and adorn the altar for the sacrifice of Jupiter Soter. This
office, for that turn, they bestowed on Demosthenes, and for the
performance of it ordered him fifty talents, the very sum in
which he was condemned.
Yet it was no long time that he enjoyed his country after his
return, the attempts of the Greeks being soon all utterly
defeated. For the battle at Cranon happened in Metagitnion, in
Boedromion the garrison entered into Munychia, and in the
Pyanepsion following died Demosthenes after this manner.
Upon the report that Antipater and Craterus were coming to
Athens, Demosthenes with his party took their opportunity to
escape privily out of the city; but sentence of death was, upon
the motion of Demades, passed upon them by the people. They
dispersed themselves, flying some to one place, some to another;
and Antipater sent about his soldiers into all quarters to
apprehend them. Archias was their captain, and was thence
called the exile-hunter. He was a Thurian born, and is reported
to have been an actor of tragedies, and they say that Polus, of
Aegina, the best actor of his time, was his scholar; but
Hermippus reckons Archias among the disciples of Lacritus, the
orator, and Demetrius says, he spent some time with Anaximenes.
This Archias finding Hyperides the orator, Aristonicus of
Marathon, and Himeraeus, the brother of Demetrius the Phalerian,
in Aegina, took them by force out of the temple of Aeacus,
whither they were fled for safety, and sent them to Antipater,
then at Cleonae, where they were all put to death; and
Hyperides, they say, had his tongue cut out.
Demosthenes, he heard, had taken sanctuary at the temple of
Neptune in Calauria, and, crossing over thither in some light
vessels, as soon as he had landed himself, and the Thracian
spear-men that came with him, he endeavored to persuade
Demosthenes to accompany him to Antipater, as if he should meet
with no hard usage from him. But Demosthenes, in his sleep the
night before, had a strange dream. It seemed to him that he was
acting a tragedy, and contended with Archias for the victory;
and though he acquitted himself well, and gave good satisfaction
to the spectators, yet for want of better furniture and
provision for the stage, he lost the day. And so, while Archias
was discoursing to him with many expressions of kindness, he
sat still in the same posture, and looking up steadfastly upon
him, "O Archias," said he, "I am as little affected by your
promises now as I used formerly to be by your acting." Archias
at this beginning to grow angry and to threaten him, "Now," said
Demosthenes, "you speak like the genuine Macedonian oracle;
before you were but acting a part. Therefore forbear only a
little, while I write a word or two home to my family." Having
thus spoken, he withdrew into the temple, and taking a scroll,
as if he meant to write, he put the reed into his mouth, and
biting it, as he was wont to do when he was thoughtful or
writing, he held it there for some time. Then he bowed down his
head and covered it. The soldiers that stood at the door,
supposing all this to proceed from want of courage and fear of
death, in derision called him effeminate, and faint-hearted, and
coward. And Archias, drawing near, desired him to rise up, and
repeating the same kind things he had spoken before, he once
more promised him to make his peace with Antipater. But
Demosthenes, perceiving that now the poison had pierced and
seized his vitals, uncovered his head, and fixing his eyes upon
Archias, "Now," said he, "as soon as you please you may commence
the part of Creon in the tragedy, and cast out this body of mine
unburied. But, O gracious Neptune, I, for my part, while I am
yet alive, arise up and depart out of this sacred place; though
Antipater and the Macedonians have not left so much as thy
temple unpolluted." After he had thus spoken and desired to be
held up, because already he began to tremble and stagger, as he
was going forward, and passing by the altar, he fell down, and
with a groan gave up the ghost.
Ariston says that he took the poison out of a reed, as we have
shown before. But Pappus, a certain historian whose history was
recovered by Hermippus, says, that as he fell near the altar,
there was found in his scroll this beginning only of a letter,
and nothing more, "Demosthenes to Antipater." And that when his
sudden death was much wondered at, the Thracians who guarded the
doors reported that he took the poison into his hand out of a
rag, and put it in his mouth, and that they imagined it had been
gold which he swallowed; but the maid that served him, being
examined by the followers of Archias, affirmed that he had worn
it in a bracelet for a long time, as an amulet. And
Eratosthenes also says that he kept the poison in a hollow ring,
and that that ring was the bracelet which he wore about his arm.
There are various other statements made by the many authors who
have related the story, but there is no need to enter into their
discrepancies; yet I must not omit what is said by Demochares,
the relation of Demosthenes, who is of opinion, it was not by
the help of poison that he met with so sudden and so easy a
death, but that by the singular favor and providence of the gods
he was thus rescued from the cruelty of the Macedonians. He died
on the sixteenth of Pyanepsion, the most sad and solemn day of
the Thesmophoria, which the women observe by fasting in the
temple of the goddess.
Soon after his death, the people of Athens bestowed on him such
honors as he had deserved. They erected his statue of brass;
they decreed that the eldest of his family should be maintained
in the Prytaneum; and on the base of his statue was engraven the
famous inscription, --
Had you for Greece been strong, as wise you were,
The Macedonian had not conquered her.
For it is simply ridiculous to say, as some have related, that
Demosthenes made these verses himself in Calauria, as he was
about to take the poison.
A little before we went to Athens, the following incident was
said to have happened. A soldier, being summoned to appear
before his superior officer, and answer to an accusation brought
against him, put that little gold which he had into the hands of
Demosthenes's statue. The fingers of this statue were folded
one within another, and near it grew a small plane-tree, from
which many leaves, either accidentally blown thither by the
wind, or placed so on purpose by the man himself falling
together, and lying round about the gold, concealed it for a
long time. In the end, the soldier returned, and found his
treasure entire, and the fame of this incident was spread
abroad. And many ingenious persons of the city competed with
each other, on this occasion, to vindicate the integrity of
Demosthenes, in several epigrams which they made on the subject.
As for Demades, he did not long enjoy the new honors he now came
in for, divine vengeance for the death of Demosthenes pursuing
him into Macedonia, where he was justly put to death by those
whom he had basely flattered. They were weary of him before,
but at this time the guilt he lay under was manifest and
undeniable. For some of his letters were intercepted, in which
he had encouraged Perdiccas to fall upon Macedonia, and to save
the Grecians, who, he said, hung only by an old rotten thread,
meaning Antipater. Of this he was accused by Dinarchus, the
Corinthian, and Cassander was so enraged, that he first slew his
son in his bosom, and then gave orders to execute him; who
might-now at last, by his own extreme misfortunes, learn the
lesson, that traitors, who make sale of their country, sell
themselves first; a truth which Demosthenes had often foretold
him, and he would never believe. Thus, Sosius, you have the
life of Demosthenes, from such accounts as we have either read
or heard concerning him.
CICERO
It is generally said, that Helvia, the mother of Cicero, was
both well born and lived a fair life; but of his father nothing
is reported but in extremes. For whilst some would have him the
son of a fuller, and educated in that trade, others carry back
the origin of his family to Tullus Attius, an illustrious king
of the Volscians, who waged war not without honor against the
Romans. However, he who first of that house was surnamed Cicero
seems to have been a person worthy to be remembered; since those
who succeeded him not only did not reject, but were fond of that
name, though vulgarly made a matter of reproach. For the Latins
call a vetch Cicer, and a nick or dent at the tip of his nose,
which resembled the opening in a vetch, gave him the surname of
Cicero.
Cicero, whose story I am writing, is said to have replied with
spirit to some of his friends, who recommended him to lay aside
or change the name when he first stood for office and engaged in
politics, that he would make it his endeavor to render the name
of Cicero more glorious than that of the Scauri and Catuli. And
when he was quaestor in Sicily, and was making an offering of
silver plate to the gods, and had inscribed his two names,
Marcus and Tullius, instead of the third he jestingly told the
artificer to engrave the figure of a vetch by them. Thus much
is told us about his name.