Demosthenes

Demosthenes was born in 384 B.C. and died in 322 B.C. He was the most famous orator of Ancient times in addition to being a popular political figure in Athens. He came from a very well off family, but the death of his father when he was 7 years old gave his legal guardians to embezzle his wealth.

When Demosthenes came of age, he took legal measures against his guardians and succeeded in regaining a portion of his inheritance. That is when he began his career as a speech-writer (logographer) and wrote speeches for use in private legal suits. In 354 B.C. he made his entrance into the political arena with his speech, "On the Navy". Demosthenes dominated the political life of Athens attempting to resurrect the pre-Peloponnesian War standard of living. Then came his conflict with King Philip II of Macedon and he wrote his most famous speeches preserved with the names, "Philippic" and "Olynthiacs".

In 324 B.C. he was involved in a scandal regarding the removal of money that was brought to Athens by the former treasury guard of Alexander the Great, Harpalus. Demosthenes was forced to escape to Troezen. In 323 B.C. he returned to Athens, but the Athenian defeat in the Lamian War by the Macedonians led him to commit suicide in order to avoid Arrest.