Demosthenes
Family: Athenian · Role: orator and exile · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 8
After the defeat at Lamia, the Athenians exiled Demosthenes to Calauria, recalled him, then exiled him again. Archias did not hand him over to Antipater and the Macedonians; Demosthenes crossed back to Calauria, where he died by taking poison.
Earlier, after his capture, Demosthenes made surrender terms for everyone but himself and attempted suicide, while Nicias surrendered voluntarily. In his old age he endured exile and came to a violent end. In Athens, Philoxenus’s letters omitted his name despite Alexander (son of Philip)’s hatred of him and Philoxenus’s private enmity.
Relationship record
Life events
- Demosthenes was exiled, recalled, and exiled again after the defeat at Lamia.(Book 1 · Chapter 8 · 📍 Calauria)
- “Here, too, is Demosthenes, whom the Athenians drove into exile to Calauria, the island near Trœzen, and after having recalled him drove him into exile a second time after the defeat at Lamia.”
- Demosthenes died in exile by taking poison.(Book 1 · Chapter 8 · 📍 Calauria)
- “And when Demosthenes went into exile the second time, he crossed over again to Calauria, where he died by taking poison.”
- Demosthenes attempted suicide after capture, while Nicias surrendered voluntarily.(Book 1 · Chapter 29)
- With: Nicias
- “Demosthenes made conditions of surrender for everybody but himself, and when he was taken attempted suicide, whereas Nicias surrendered voluntarily.”
- Demosthenes endured exile and came to a violent end.(Book 2 · Chapter 33)
- “and Demosthenes in his old age had to taste the bitterness of exile, and came to a violent end.”
- Philoxenus’s letters omitted Demosthenes despite Alexander’s hatred of him.(Book 2 · Chapter 33 · 📍 Athens)
- With: Philoxenus Alexander (son of Philip)
- “Although in those letters he enumerated the names of those who had had any money from Harpalus, and the precise sum which each of them had, he made no mention whatever of Demosthenes, though he was most bitterly hated by Alexander, and although Philoxenus himself was privately his enemy.”
Book 1 · Chapter 8
- with Archias (Archias did not hand Demosthenes over.) “he was the only exile who was not handed over to Antipater and the Macedonians by Archias”
- with Archias (Archias did not hand Demosthenes over to Antipater.) “And he was the only exile who was not handed over to Antipater and the Macedonians by Archias.”
Book 1 · Chapter 23
- with Diitrephes (interaction) “This Diitrephes, among other things which the Athenians record, led back the Thracian mercenaries who came too late, for Demosthenes had already sailed for Syracuse.”
Book 1 · Chapter 29
- with Nicias (The passage contrasts their respective surrenders.) “Demosthenes made conditions of surrender for everybody but himself, and when he was taken attempted suicide, whereas Nicias surrendered voluntarily”
Book 2 · Chapter 33
- enemies with Alexander (son of Philip) (Alexander hated Demosthenes.) “though he was most bitterly hated by Alexander”
- enemies with Philoxenus (Philoxenus was privately Demosthenes's enemy.) “although Philoxenus himself was privately his enemy”
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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.