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Plutarch · c. AD 46-after 119

Life of Demosthenes

Δημοσθένης
Ancient Sources / Plutarch / Life of Demosthenes

Plutarch's Life of Demosthenes follows the Athenian orator from his orphaned childhood to his death at the temple of Poseidon on Calauria. It covers his training as a speaker, his opposition to Philip of Macedon and Alexander, the defeat at Chaeroneia, the affair of Harpalus and his exile. Plutarch calls it part of the fifth book of his Parallel Lives, paired with the Life of Cicero.

Read from the start
Text
Greek original with English translation, 10 passages, about 10300 words in English.
Translator
Bernadotte Perrin (1919)
Edition
Bernadotte Perrin (ed. and trans.), Plutarch's Lives, vol. 7, Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, 1919 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus)
Cite as
Plutarch, Life of Demosthenes 1.1 (by chapter, section)

Contents · 10 passages

  1. 1.1–3.4Plutarch on small cities and why he pairs Demosthenes with Cicero854 words
  2. 4.1–5.5The childhood of Demosthenes, his nicknames and Callistratus695 words
  3. 6.1–8.5Demosthenes' failures, Satyrus the actor and the underground study1002 words
  4. 9.1–11.6Prepared and improvised speeches; Demades, Phocion and the pebbles in his mouth1018 words
  5. 12.1–15.3Demosthenes' policy against Philip, the Meidias case and speeches written for others1338 words
  6. 16.1–18.4Demosthenes builds a Greek league against Philip and wins over Thebes794 words
  7. 19.1–21.3The oracles before Chaeroneia, the Thermodon and Demosthenes' flight852 words
  8. 22.1–23.5The death of Philip and Alexander's demand for the orators884 words
  9. 24.1–27.6The trial on the Crown, the Harpalus affair and Demosthenes' exile and return1563 words
  10. 28.1–31.4The death of Demosthenes in the temple of Poseidon at Calauria1315 words

More by Plutarch

English translation by Bernadotte Perrin (1919). Original text: Bernadotte Perrin (ed. and trans.), Plutarch's Lives, vol. 7, Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, 1919 (Greek text as digitised by Perseus).

Greek text and translation from the Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Perseus Digital Library); translation public domain. Introductions, summaries and notes © GreekMythology.com.