§8.1#1Δημοσθένης Δημοσθένους καὶ Κλεοβούλης τῆς Γύλωνος θυγατρός, τῶν δὲ δήμων Παιανιεύς, καταλειφθεὶς;
Demosthenes was the son of Demosthenes and of Cleobule, the daughter of Gylon, and by deme a Paeanian.
ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐτῶν ἑπτὰ μετʼ ἀδελφῆς πενταέτιδος τὸν μὲν τῆς ὀρφανίας χρόνον παρὰ τῇ μητρὶ διῆγε, σχολάζων Ἰσοκράτει ὥς τινες ἔφασαν, ὡς δʼ οἱ πλεῖστοι Ἰσαίῳ τῷ Χαλκιδεῖ, ὃς ἦν Ἰσοκράτους μαθητής, διάγοντι ἐν Ἀθήναις, ζηλῶν Θουκυδίδην καὶ Πλάτωνα τὸν φιλόσοφον, ᾧ τινες εἶπον προηγουμένως αὐτὸν σχολάσαι.
Left by his father at the age of seven years together with a sister of five, he spent his period of orphanhood with his mother, studying under Isocrates, as some have said, but as most say, under Isaeus of Chalcis, who was a pupil of Isocrates and was living in Athens, while imitating Thucydides and Plato the philosopher, under whom some said he had studied first of all.
ὡς δʼ Ἡγησίας ὁ Μάγνης φησίν, ἐδεήθη τοῦ παιδαγωγοῦ, ἵνα Καλλιστράτου Ἐμπέδου Ἀφιδναίου, ῥήτορος δοκίμου καὶ ἱππαρχήσαντος καὶ ἀναθέντος τὸν βωμὸν τῷ Ἑρμῇ τῷ ἀγοραίῳ, μέλλοντος ἐν τῷ δήμῳ λέγειν, ἀκούσῃ ἀκούσας δʼ ἐραστὴς ἐγένετο τῶν λόγων.
And as Hegesias of Magnesia says, he requested his pedagogue that when Callistratus, the son of Empedus of Aphidnae, a reputable orator who had served as general of horse and had dedicated the altar to Hermes of the Market, was about to speak in the assembly, he might hear him; and having heard him, he became a lover of eloquence.
καὶ τούτου μὲν ἐπʼ ὀλίγον ἤκουσεν, ἕως ἐπεδήμει.
And he heard him for a short time, as long as he resided there.
ἐπειδὴ δʼ ὁ μὲν ἔφυγεν εἰς Θρᾴκην ὁ δʼ ἐγεγόνει ἐξ ἐφήβων; τηνικαῦτα παρέβαλεν Ἰσοκράτει καὶ Πλάτωνι· εἶτα καὶ Ἰσαῖον ἀναλαβὼν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τετραετῆ χρόνον αὑτὸν διεπόνησε, μιμούμενος αὐτοῦ τοὺς λόγους.
But when the latter had fled to Thrace and he himself had emerged from boyhood, at that time he repaired to Isocrates and Plato; then, also taking Isaeus into his house, for a period of four years he trained himself, imitating his speeches.
ὡς δὲ Κτησίβιός φησιν ἐν τῷ περὶ φιλοσοφίας, διὰ Καλλίου τοῦ Συρακουσίου πορίσας τοὺς Ζήθου τοῦ Ἀμφιπολίτου λόγους, διὰ δὲ Χαρικλέους τοῦ Καρυστίου τοὺς Ἀλκιδάμαντος, διέλαβεν αὐτούς.
And as Ctesibius says in his treatise On Philosophy, having obtained the speeches of Zethus of Amphipolis through Callias of Syracuse, and those of Alcidamas through Charicles of Carystus, he thoroughly mastered them.
τελειωθεὶς δέ, ἐλάττω παρὰ τῶν ἐπιτρόπων παραλαβών, ἔκρινεν αὐτοὺς ἐπιτροπῆς ἐπὶ Τιμοκράτους ἄρχοντος, τρεῖς ὄντας, Ἄφοβον Θηριππίδην Δημοφῶντα ἢ Δημέαν καὶ μάλιστα τούτου κατηγόρησεν ἀδελφοῦ τῆς μητρὸς ὄντος, δέκα τάλαντα τίμημα ἑκάστῃ τῶν δικῶν ἐπιγραψάμενος· καὶ εἷλεν αὐτούς τῆς δὲ καταδίκης οὐδὲν ἐπράξατο, τοὺς μὲν ἀφεὶς ἀργυρίου τοὺς δὲ καὶ χάριτος.
And when he reached manhood, having received less than his share of property from his guardians, he brought them to trial for neglect of guardianship under the archonship of Timocrates, they being three in number: Aphobus, Therippides, and Demophon or Demeas; and he especially accused the latter, who was his mother's brother, having registered ten talents as the damages for each of the suits; and he convicted them, but did not exact any of the judgment-money, letting some go from the money and others also out of favor.
Ἀριστοφῶντος δʼ ἤδη τὴν προστασίαν διὰ γῆρας καταλιπόντος, καὶ χορηγὸς ἐγένετο.
When Aristophon had already resigned his leadership because of old age, he also became a choregus.
Μειδίαν δὲ τὸν Ἀναγυράσιον πλήξαντα αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ θεάτρῳ χορηγοῦντα εἰς κρίσιν καταστήσας, λαβὼν τρισχιλίας ἀφῆκε τῆς δίκης λέγουσι δʼ αὐτὸν ἔτι νέον ὄντα εἰς σπήλαιον ἀπιέναι κἀκεῖ φιλολογεῖν τὸ ἣμισυ τῆς κεφαλῆς; ξυράμενον, ἵνα μὴ προέρχοιτο· καὶ ἐπὶ στενῆς κλίνης κοιμᾶσθαι, ἵνα διὰ ταχέων ἀνίστηται· τό τε ῥῶ μὴ δυνάμενον λέγειν ἐκπονῆσαι, καὶ τὸν ὦμον ἐν τῷ μελετᾶν κινοῦντα ἀπρεπῶς καταπαῦσαι, παραρτήσαντα ὀβελίσκον ἢ ὥς τινες ξιφίδιον ἐκ τῆς ὀροφῆς, ἵνα φοβούμενος ἠρεμοίη.
And having brought to trial Meidias of Anagyrus, who had struck him in the theater while he was acting as choregus, he let him off from the suit after receiving three thousand drachmas. And they say that when he was still young he went off into a cave and there studied, having shaved half of his head so that he might not go out; and that he slept on a narrow bed, so that he might rise quickly; and that he trained himself to overcome his inability to pronounce the letter rho, and stopped his ungraceful movement of the shoulder during practice by hanging a spit, or as some say a small sword, from the ceiling, so that out of fear he might remain still.
προβαίνοντα δὲ κατὰ τὴν τῶν λόγων ἰσχὺν ἔσοπτρον ἰσομέγεθες αὑτῷ κατασκευάσαι καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο ἀφορῶντα μελετᾶν, ἵνʼ ἐπανορθώσηται τὰ ἐλλείποντα· καὶ κατιόντα ἐπὶ τὸ Φαληρικὸν πρὸς τὰς τῶν κυμάτων ἐμβολὰς τὰς σκέψεις ποιεῖσθαι, ἵνʼ, εἴ ποτε θορυβοίη ὁ δῆμος, μὴ ἐκσταίη· τοῦ δὲ πνεύματος αὐτῷ ἐνδέοντος, Νεοπτολέμῳ τῷ ὑποκριτῇ μυρίας δοῦναι, ἵνʼ ὅλας περιόδους ἀπνεύστως λέγῃ.
And as he made progress in the power of his speeches, he constructed a mirror of equal size to himself, and looking into this he practiced, so that he might correct his deficiencies; and that he went down to the Phalerian shore and made his practices against the dashing of the waves, so that if ever the assembly should make an uproar, he might not be disconcerted; and since his breath was insufficient, he gave ten thousand drachmas to Neoptolemus the actor, so that he might speak whole periods without drawing breath.
ἐπεὶ δὲ τῷ πολιτεύεσθαι προσῆλθεν, εἰς δύο διῃρημένων τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει, καὶ τῶν μὲν φιλιππιζόντων τῶν δʼ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐλευθερίας δημηγορούντων, τὴν τῶν ἀντιπολιτευομένων Φιλίππῳ τάξιν εἵλετο· καὶ διὰ παντὸς τοῦ χρόνου διετέλεσε συμβουλεύων τοῖς κινδυνεύουσιν ὑπὸ Φιλίππῳ γενέσθαι βοηθεῖν, συμπολιτευόμενος Ὑπερείδῃ Ναυσικλεῖ Πολυεύκτῳ Διοτίμῳ· διὸ καὶ συμμάχους τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις ἐποίησε Θηβαίους Εὐβοεῖς Κερκυραίους Κορινθίους Βοιωτούς, καὶ πολλοὺς ἄλλους πρὸς τούτοις.
When he entered public life, since those in the city were divided into two parties, some playing the part of Philip's partisans and others speaking in the assembly for liberty, he chose the rank of those opposed to Philip; and throughout his whole life he continued to advise aiding those who were in danger of falling under Philip's power, taking part in politics with Hypereides, Nausicles, Polyeuctus, and Diotimus; wherefore he also made the Thebans, Euboeans, Corcyraeans, Corinthians, Boeotians, and many others besides these, allies to the Athenians.
ἐκπεσὼν δὲ ποτʼ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ ἀθυμῶν ἐβάδιζεν οἴκοι· συντυχὼν δʼ αὐτῷ Εὔνομος ὁ Θριάσιος πρεσβύτης ἤδη ὢν προετρέψατο τὸν Δημοσθένη, μάλιστα δʼ ὁ ὑποκριτὴς Ἀνδρόνικος εἰπὼν ὡς οἱ μὲν λόγοι καλῶς ἔχοιεν λείποι δʼ αὐτῷ τὰ τῆς ὑποκρίσεως, ἀπεμνημόνευσέ τε τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ λελεγμένων· καὶ δὴ πιστεύσαντα τὸν Δημοσθένη παραδοῦναι αὑτὸν τῷ Ἀνδρονίκῳ.
Having once been hooted down in the assembly, he was walking home in dejection; and Eunomus of Thria, who was already an old man, met him and encouraged Demosthenes, but especially the actor Andronicus, who said that his speeches were excellent but that he lacked delivery, and recited what had been spoken by him in the assembly; and so Demosthenes, believing him, entrusted himself to Andronicus.
ὅθεν ἐρομένου αὐτὸν τινος τί πρῶτον ἐν ῥητορικῇ, εἶπεν
ὑπόκρισις
καὶ τί δεύτερον
ὑπόκρισις·
Whence, when someone asked him what was first in rhetoric, he said: "Delivery." And what was second?
καὶ τί τρίτον
ὑπόκρισισ.
"Delivery." And what was third?
προελθὼν δὲ πάλιν εἰς τὰς ἐκκλησίας, νεωτερικῶς τινα λέγων διεσύρετο, ὡς κωμῳδηθῆναι αὐτὸν ὑπʼ Ἀντιφάνους καὶ Τιμοκλέους
"
μὰ γῆν μὰ κρήνας μὰ ποταμοὺς μὰ νάματα
"
ὀμόσας δὲ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐν τῷ δήμῳ θόρυβον ἐκίνησεν.
"Delivery." And when he came forward again to the assemblies, since he spoke some things in a novel manner, he was ridiculed, so that he was lampooned by Antiphanes and Timocles thus: "By earth, by fountains, by rivers, by streams!" For having sworn in this manner in the assembly, he caused an uproar.
ὤμνυε δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἀσκληπιόν, προπαροξύνων Ἀσκλήπιον· καὶ παρεδείκνυεν 1 αὑτὸν ὀρθῶς λέγοντα· εἶναι γὰρ τὸν θεὸν ἤπιον· καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ πολλάκις ἐθορυβήθη.
He also used to swear by Asclepius, shifting the accent forward to Asclepius; and he pointed out that he spoke correctly, for the god was gentle (epios); and on this account he was often hooted.
σχολάσας δʼ Εὐβουλίδῃ τῷ διαλεκτικῷ Μιλησίῳ ἐπηνωρθώσατο πάντα.
But having studied under Eubulides the dialectician of Miletus, he corrected everything.
γενόμενος δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ Ὀλυμπιακῇ πανηγύρει καὶ ἀκούσας Λαμάχου τοῦ Τερειναίου Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἐγκώμιον ἀναγινώσκοντος Θηβαίων δὲ καὶ Ὀλυνθίων κατατρέχοντος, παραναστὰς ἀρχαίων ποιητῶν μαρτυρίας προηνέγκατο περὶ τῶν Θηβαίοις καὶ Ὀλυνθίοις καλῶς πραχθέντων, ὡς παύσασθαί τε τὸ λοιπὸν τὸν Λάμαχον καὶ φυγεῖν ἐκ τῆς πανηγύρεως Φίλιππον δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἀναφέροντας αὐτῷ τὰς κατʼ αὐτοῦ δημηγορίας εἰπεῖν ὅτι
καὶ αὐτὸς ἂν ἀκούων λέγοντος Δημοσθένους ἐχειροτόνησα τὸν ἄνδρα πρὸς τὸν κατʼ ἐμοῦ πόλεμον
ἐκάλει δὲ τοὺς μὲν αὐτοῦ λόγους ὁμοίους τοῖς στρατιώταις διὰ τὴν πολεμικὴν δύναμιν, τοὺς δʼ Ἰσοκράτους τοῖς ἀθληταῖς· τέρψιν γὰρ παρέχειν αὐτοὺς θεατρικήν.
And when he was at the Olympic festival, and heard Lamachus of Terina reading an encomium of Philip and Alexander, and running down the Thebans and Olynthians, he stood up and brought forward testimonies of ancient poets concerning the noble deeds done by the Thebans and Olynthians, so that Lamachus for the future desisted and fled from the festival; and Philip said to those who reported to him the speeches made against him by Demosthenes: "I myself, if I had heard Demosthenes speaking, would have voted for the man to lead the war against me." And he used to call Demosthenes' speeches like soldiers because of their warlike force, but those of Isocrates like athletes; for they afforded a theatrical pleasure.
ἑπτὰ δὲ.
And seven...