Vitae decem oratorum
Choose a text
id="mobileReaderAuthor" class="mobile-reader-author" href="/authors/plutarch" aria-label="More works by Plutarch (plutarch)">
—
⋯
Original / primary: Perseus Eng3
6.p18
6.p18
Aeschines was the son of Atrometus,
6.p18
1
6.p18
who was exiled in the time of the Thirty and helped to restore the democracy, and of Glaucothea. He belonged to the deme of the Cothocidae and was not of distinguished family or great wealth. When he was young and physically strong he worked hard in the gymnasia; and afterwards, since he had a clear voice, he practised tragedy; and according to Demosthenes
6.p18
2
6.p18
he was for a long time under-secretary and regularly played as a third-rate actor with Aristodemus at the
6.p18
Dionysiac festivals,
6.p18
3
6.p18
repeating the old tragedies
6.p18
4
6.p18
in his spare time. And while still a child he helped his father to teach letters, and as a young man he served in the patrol of the frontiers. After studying with Isocrates and Plato, as some say, but with Leodamas according to Caecilius,
6.p18
5
6.p18
he was prominent in public life in the party opposed to that of Demosthenes, and was sent on many embassies, among them the one to Philip concerning the peace.
6.p18
6
6.p18
For this he was accused by Demosthenes of having destroyed the Phocian nation and moreover of having stirred up war between the Amphissians, who were building the harbour when he was chosen as delegate to the Amphictyonic Council, and the Amphictyons; as a result of which the Amphictyons turned to Philip for protection, and he, assisted by Aeschines, took matters in hand and conquered Phocis. But through the aid of Eubulus, son of Spintharus, of the deme of Probalinthus, who had influence with the people, he was acquitted by thirty votes; but some say that though the orators composed their speeches, yet
6.p18
the suit never came to trial because the battle of Chaeroneia intervened.
6.p18
7
6.p18
At a later time, when Philip was dead and Alexander was crossing over to Asia, he brought a suit against Ctesiphon for illegal conduct in proposing the honours for Demosthenes; and when he did not receive one-fifth of the votes cast, he went into exile at Rhodes, not being willing to pay a fine of a thousand drachmas for his defeat.
6.p18
8
6.p18
But some say that he was further punished by disfranchisement and did not leave the city of his own accord, and that he went to Alexander at Ephesus. During the confusion following Alexander’s death he sailed to Rhodes, set up a school there, and taught. He read to the Rhodians his oration against Ctesiphon as an exhibition of his powers, and when they all wondered that after delivering that speech he had lost his case,
6.p18
You would not wonder, Rhodians,
6.p18
he said,
6.p18
if you had heard Demosthenes speak in reply to it.
6.p18
And he left a school behind him there, called the Rhodian school. Then he sailed to Samos and not long after, while lingering on that island, died. He had an excellent voice, as is clear from what Demosthenes says
6.p18
9
6.p18
and from the oration of Demochares.
6.p19
6.p19
Four orations are current under his name: that
6.p19
Against Timarchus
6.p19
, that
6.p19
On the False Legation
6.p19
,
6.p19
1
6.p19
and that
6.p19
Against Ctesiphon
6.p19
,
6.p19
2
6.p19
and these alone are genuine, since the one entitled the
6.p19
Delian Oration
6.p19
is not by Aeschines; for he was, to be sure, appointed associate advocate in the trial relating to the sanctuary
6.p19
at Delos, but he did not deliver the speech; for Hypereides was elected in his place, as Demosthenes says.
6.p19
3
6.p19
He had, as he himself says,
6.p19
4
6.p19
two brothers, Aphobetus and Philochares. He was the first to bring to the Athenians the news of the victory at Tamynae, for which he was crowned a second time.
6.p20
6.p20
Some have said that Aeschines did not study under any teachers, but rose from the under-clerkship in the courts, which he held at that time. And they say that his first speech before the people was against Philip, by which he gained such reputation as to be chosen envoy to the Arcadians; and when he came to them he raised the ten thousand troops with which to oppose Philip. He also prosecuted for unchastity Timarchus, who gave up the defence and hanged himself, as Demosthenes says somewhere.
6.p20
1
6.p20
He was elected envoy to Philip with Ctesiphon and Demosthenes to treat for peace, on which occasion he was more successful than Demosthenes; and the second time, when he was one of ten,
6.p20
2
6.p20
he confirmed the peace with oaths, was tried for it, and was acquitted, as has been said above.