Demosthenes and Isocrates came to prominence in fourth century B.C.E. Athens as public speakers and as politicians. Isocrates was a teacher of rhetoric, or the art of public speaking, while Demosthenes was a professional litigator, writing speeches for clients arguing in the courts of law, and occasionally presenting arguments himself. Both men were highly respected citizens and opinion makers throughout the sphere of influence maintained by Athens, though they held opposing views regarding the proper course for Athenian government, warfare between the Greek city-states, and the prospect of invasion from the Persian Empire to the east. While the Greek city-states engaged in fratricidal warfare, Philip of Macedon began consolidation of his political power by essentially offering up his highly trained professional Macedonian army as mercenary soldiers to the various city-states requesting assistance or protection and demanding control as hegemon or monarch of the city-state in return for military aid. Following a declaration of truce, Philip would impose his rule upon the vanquished as well. Demosthenes began his series of orations, known to history as The Philippics, against Philip following the conquest by Philip of the Illyrians to the west of Macedonia and the Thracians to the north and east of Macedonia. The continued agitation of Demosthenes and the speed with which Philip was acquiring his empire spurred Athens, finally, into a disastrous alliance with Thebes in an uprising against Philip in 338 B.C.E., the result of which was the destruction of Thebes by Philip as example of consequence to all who would potentially rise against him. Athens, however, receiving treatment as ally and friend, was spared the consequence o... ... middle of paper ... ...s," accessed January 29, 2012, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/296237/Isocrates. New World Encyclopedia contributors, "Demosthenes," New World Encyclopedia, http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Demosthenes?oldid=945488 (accessed January 30, 2012). Jackson J. Spielvogel, Western Civilization: Volume I: To 1715, 8th Edition, (Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2012), 90. New World Encyclopedia contributors, "Demosthenes," New World Encyclopedia, http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Demosthenes?oldid=945488 (accessed January 30, 2012). Jackson J. Spielvogel, Western Civilization: Volume I: To 1715, 8th Edition, (Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2012), 90. New World Encyclopedia contributors, "Demosthenes," New World Encyclopedia, http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Demosthenes?oldid=945488 (accessed January 30, 2012).
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Clifford R. Backman, The Cultures of the West: A History. Volume 1: To 1750. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.
Athens government and military is considerably different from their neighbors. According to Pericles, Athens government is not a copy of our neighbors...
Coffin, Judith G., and Robert C. Stacey. "CHAPTER 18 PAGES 668-669." Western Civilizations: Their History & Their Culture. 16TH ed. Vol. 2. New York, NY: W. W. Norton &, 2008. N. pag. Print.
Duiker, William J., and Jackson J. Spielvogel. World History. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomsom Learning, 2001. 374-438.
In the years following the Persian Wars in 479 B.C., Athens had come out on top being the most dominantly powerful of any Greek city with a navy that had superior strength that increased day by day. The Athenians “ruled with heavy-handed, even brutal force as well as with reason” (Kagan 2). This was due largely to the fact that Athens had a stable and effective government, which only increased their advantage in proving themselv...
Knight, Judson. Middle Ages. Ed. Judy Galens. J-Z ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: UXL, 2001. Print.
As can be expected from pioneer governmental institutions, Athenian democracy was not perfect. In fact it was far from it. It resulted in the establishment of poor policies by aggressive populists who sought "...private ambition and private profit...which were bad both for the Athenians themselves and their allies." (Thucydides). These self interested populist leaders with personal gain in mind established extensive internal political instability "...by quarrelling among themselves [and] began to bring confusion into the policy of the state." (Thucydides). Repeated opportunities to accept terms of peace after the battles of Pylos (425), Arginusae (406) and Aegospotami (405) were ignored by the inefficient Athenian demos eventually resulting in the devastation of the once dominant city-state. Internal political strife can also be attribu...
Spielvogel, Jackson J. “Chapter 21: Reaction, Revolution, and Romanticism, 1815-1850.” In Western Civilization Volume II: Since 1500, 632-664. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth, 2009. Print.
The first of these threats was the Illyrians who were prepared to move further down into Macedonia, followed by the Paeonians who set out to invade the lower parts of Macedonia. While these two forces wanted to move in on Macedonian territory two pretenders to the throne were ready to claim their place as king, Algaeus who was backed by the Athenians and Pausanias who was backed by the king of Thrace. One or all of these threats would have led to the immediate fall of the Macedonia. Peridicaas had an infant son, Amyntas, making him the heir to the throne after the king’s passing. Traditionally in a situation like this Philip would have been appointed regent until his nephew was old enough to take on his duties but Macedonia was in a fragile state and quickly running out of time so the assembly simply appointed Philip the king instead. The detrimental circumstances that he had just been thrown into were seemingly impossible to turn around but Philip proved himself to be the kind of quick thinking and intelligent ruler that had the ability to turn desperate Macedonia into a supreme power in Greece. In just one year Philip eliminated all of the impending threats towards Macedonia but he did so through methods that were not always conventional. Philip II was an individual who was willing to do whatever it took to change Macedonia into a great nation state using military force, bribery, and marriage to do
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