Demosthenes and His Time

Raphael Sealey

ISBN 10: 0195079280 / ISBN 13: 9780195079289

Published by Oxford University Press Inc, US, 1993

About this Item

Professor Sealey studies the political history of Greece, especially Athens, from 386 to 322 BC. Although Demosthenes figures largely in the middle and later chapters, the book is not intended to be purely biographical, and a good deal of attention is paid to social and international factors bearing on Athenian political activity during this period. The story is one of two-fold failure: by launching a league of a novel type in 378 the Athenians tried to bring a new order into Greek affairs, but were eventually overcome by Macedon; Demosthenes discovered his mission as a statesman and failed because of Macedonian power. The narrative begins in 387/6 BC, when the Spartans and their allies secured financial help from Persia, gained control of the Hellespont and cut the Athenians off from one of their main sources of grain. Sealey describes the events of the turbulent years which followed, the threat to Athens posed by Philip II and the rise of Demosthenes to power in Athens. The book concludes with an analysis of the defeat of Athens and its allies in 322, and ends with the suicide of Demosthenes.

Seller Inventory # LU-9780195079289

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Demosthenes and His Time
• Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc, US
• Publication Date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0195079280
• ISBN 13: 9780195079289
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New
• Dimensions: 16.36W x 3.16H x 24.13D centimeters 16.36 centimeters width by 3.16 centimeters height by 24.13 centimeters depth
• Weight: 726 grams

About this title

Synopsis

This book draws on a wide range of evidence to study the history of Athens from 386 to 322 B.C. Taking a sympathetic view of the Second Athenian League, Sealey focuses on the career of Demosthenes to provide important insights into Athenian politics and policies. Demosthenes experienced repeated setbacks in his early attempts at public activity, but found his mission as a statesman in the conflict with Macedon and subsequently became the leading man in Athens. Sealey rejects theories that assume programmatic divisions among Athenian statesmen into pro- and anti-Macedonians, and argues that all Athenians active in politics resented Macedonian ascendancy but recognized the necessity of accommodation to superior power. His account concludes with the defeat of Athens and its allies and the suicide of Demosthenes, presenting new insights not only into the life of Demosthenes and the turbulent years of his political career, but also the social and international factors bearing on Athenian political activity in general.

About the Author

Raphael Sealey is at University of California, Berkeley.