Demosthenes

Family: Athenian · Role: general · First appears: Book 3 · Chapter 11 · Part 1

In Book 3, Demosthenes, son of Alcisthenes, led the Athenian forces that devastated Leucadian land, then agreed to the Messenians’ plan to invade Aetolia. His army took Potidania, Krokyle and Tichium before the Aetolians defeated it at Aegitium; Procles, his colleague, and many others were killed. Demosthenes stayed at Naupactus after the survivors retired there, and was later chosen at Argos to command the allied army alongside the Acarnanian generals. At Olpae, Menedaius sought a truce and permission to retreat; Demosthenes and his colleagues secretly allowed Menedaius and other leaders to leave, then Demosthenes routed an Ambraciot force at Idomene.

In Book 4, Cleon chose Demosthenes as his colleague for the expedition at Pylos. Together they offered the island’s Lacedaemonians terms, halted the fighting as the Athenians gained the advantage, and accepted the surrender of Styphon and his men. That summer, Demosthenes and Hippocrates son of Ariphron conspired with Megarian leaders; Demosthenes entered Megara with his troops before daybreak, and the Athenians captured the walls and Nisaea. He later subdued Salynthius and the Agraeans, but his expedition to Siphae failed after the plot was betrayed.

In Book 7, Demosthenes was appointed as one of Nicias’s colleagues and organized an expedition to Sicily. He and Charicles fortified a position in Laconia, then continued toward Sicily with Eurymedon, reinforcing Conon’s squadron and renewing an old friendship with Artas. After arriving in Sicily with reinforcements, Demosthenes attacked Epipolae; the assault was repulsed, and the Athenians retreated. He and Eurymedon urged departure, but the commanders stayed. Demosthenes later led an attempt to force the harbour barrier, and, after the fleet was defeated and a further escape attempt was abandoned, joined Nicias in retreating by land. He agreed with Gylippus to surrender his division on terms protecting the troops, but Nicias and Demosthenes were put to death against Gylippus’s will.