Profile of Demosthenes, the Greek Orator

Profile of Demosthenes, the Greek Orator Demosthenes, renowned as a great Greek orator and statesman, was born in 384 (or 383) B.C. He died in 322. Demosthenes father, also Demosthenes, was an Athenian citizen from the deme of Paeania who died when Demosthenes was seven. His mother was named Cleobule. Demosthenes Learns to Speak Publicly The first time Demosthenes made a speech in the public assembly was a disaster. Discouraged, he was fortunate to run into an actor who helped show him what he needed to do to make his speeches compelling. To perfect the technique, he set up a routine, which he followed for months until he had mastered oratory. Plutarch on the Self-Training of Demosthenes Hereupon he built himself a place to study in underground (which was still remaining in our time), and hither he would come constantly every day to form his action and to exercise his voice, and here he would continue, oftentimes without intermission, two or three months together, shaving one half of his head, that so for shame he might not go abroad, though he desired it ever so much. - Plutarchs Demosthenes Demosthenes as Speech Writer Demosthenes was a professional speech writer or logographer. Demosthenes wrote speeches against Athenians he believed guilty of corruption. His first Philippic was in 352 (it is named for the man Demosthenes opposed, Philip of Macedonia.) Aspects of Athenian Political Life Greek men of means were expected to contribute to the polis and so Demosthenes, who became active politically in c. 356 B.C., outfitted a trireme and, as choregus at Athens, he paid for a theatrical performance. Demosthenes also fought as a hoplite at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338. Demosthenes Gains Fame as an Orator Demosthenes became an official Athenian orator. As an  official orator, he warned against Philip  when the Macedonian king and father of Alexander the Great was beginning his conquest of Greece. Demosthenes three orations against Philip, known as the Philippics, were so bitter that today a severe speech denouncing someone is called a Philippic. Another writer of Philippics was Cicero, the Roman with whom Plutarch compares Demosthenes in Plutarchs Parallel Lives. There is also a fourth Philippic whose authenticity has been questioned. Death of Demosthenes Demosthenes troubles with the royal house of Macedon didnt end with Philips death. When Alexander insisted that the Athenian orators be delivered to him to be punished for treason, Demosthenes fled to a temple of Poseidon for sanctuary. A guard prevailed on him to come out. Realizing he was at the end of his rope, Demosthenes requested permission to write a letter. Permission was granted; the letter was written; then Demosthenes began to walk, quill pen in his mouth, to the door of the temple. He died before he reached it of a poison hed kept in his pen. Thats the story. Works Attributed to Demosthenes On the Accession of AlexanderAgainst AndrotionAgainst ApatouriusAgainst AphobusAgainst Aphobus 1Against Aphobus 2Against AristocratesAgainst Aristogiton 1Against Aristogiton 2Against Boeotus 1Against Boeotus 2Against CalliclesAgainst CallippusOn the ChersoneseAgainst CononOn the CrownAgainst DionysodorusErotic EssayAgainst EubulidesAgainst Evergus and MnesibulusExordiaOn the False EmbassyFuneral SpeechOn the HalonnesusAgainst LacritusAgainst LeocharesAgainst LeptinesLettersOn the Liberty of the RhodiansAgainst MacartatusAgainst MidiasAgainst Nausimachus and XenopeithesOn the Navy-BoardsAgainst NeaeraAgainst NicostratusAgainst OlympiodorusOlynthiac 1Olynthiac 2Olynthiac 3Against OntenorAgainst OntenorOn OrganizationAgainst PantaenetusOn the PeaceAgainst PhaenippusPhilips LetterReply to Philips LetterPhilippic 1Philippic 2Philippic 3Philippic 4Against PhormioFor PhormioAgainst PolyclesAgainst SpudiasAgainst Stephanus 1Against Stephanus 2Against TheocrinesAgainst TimocratesAgainst Timot heus On the Trierarchic CrownAgainst ZenothemisFor the Megalopolitans Available through The Internet Library.

Another Quiz About Parallel Structure in Sentences

Another Quiz About Parallel Structure in Sentences Another Quiz About Parallel Structure in Sentences Another Quiz About Parallel Structure in Sentences By Mark Nichol Errors of organization plague writing not just in overall structure or paragraph formation but also even within sentences. One frequent problem is a misunderstanding about how multiple elements in a sentence must be marshaled to clearly communicate relationships between the components. In each sentence below, repair the lapse in parallel structure and then compare your solution to mine in the paragraph that follows the example: 1. â€Å"The thing to remember is that you are unique, original, and this is what you have to offer.† The items in a run-in list (one integrated into a sentence, as opposed to a vertical list, as in a numbered or bulleted list) should all relate to one verb or should each be supported by their own; nothing in between is acceptable. But this sentence is deceptive; it doesn’t really include a list. The almost-but-not-quite-redundant words unique and original should be treated as one idea (separated by and), followed by the existing second clause: â€Å"The thing to remember is that you are unique and original, and this is what you have to offer.† 2. â€Å"The district attorney said Smith had been texting, driving at a speed that was unsafe for the conditions, and had failed to yield to Jones.† This sentence, which does include a run-in list, also has a confused structure, because, as explained above, all three phrases should be preceded by a verb, or they should all share one. The same solution as in the example above can be employed here in this case, the combining of the first two items into a simultaneous combination: â€Å"The district attorney said Smith had been texting while driving at a speed that was unsafe for the conditions and had failed to yield to Jones.† 3. â€Å"We have been spat on, called names, physically attacked, and censured by the administration for defending ourselves, even as our attackers went unpunished.† This sentence implies that the administration is responsible not only for censuring the people in question but also for spitting on them and verbally and physically attacking them. However, it should be clear that distinct parties undertook those indignities and the censure; the administration did not commit the former acts. To clarify, distance the censure from the rest by making a separate list of the first three items (the last one preceded by and) and inserting â€Å"as well as† before censure: â€Å"We have been spat on, called names, and physically attacked, as well as censured by the administration for defending ourselves, even as our attackers went unpunished.† 4. â€Å"They may do so out of fear, guilt, unfamiliarity with alcohol problems, or because they seem to gain something.† The word or in the middle of this sentence sends the statement off in a new direction, so the list that precedes it must be self-contained. The first inclination might be to revise it to â€Å"They may do so out of fear, guilt, or unfamiliarity with alcohol problems, or because they seem to gain something.† However, the reader may misread the structure as referring to â€Å"fear of alcohol problems,† â€Å"guilt about alcohol problems,† and â€Å"unfamiliarity with alcohol problems,† but the fear and guilt are not directly associated with â€Å"alcohol problems.† This revision more clearly organizes the thought: â€Å"They may do so out of fear or guilt, or unfamiliarity with alcohol problems, or because they seem to gain something.† 5. â€Å"Aside from intoxicating beverages, alcohols are used in flavorings, perfumes, as a solvent in medicines, various chemical compounds, as a medical antiseptic, hand sanitizer, and as a fuel for cooking and heating.† This sentence benefits from a reorganization of its elements that lines up logical subgroupings as well as produces grammatically parallel elements: â€Å"Aside from intoxicating beverages, alcohols are used in flavorings and perfumes, as solvents in medicines and various chemical compounds, as medical antiseptics and hand sanitizers, and as fuels for cooking and heating.† See this previous post for more examples and solutions to faulty parallel structure in sentences. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Exquisite Adjectives75 Synonyms for â€Å"Talk†50 Synonyms for â€Å"Villain†