Source edition
Demosthenes. Orationes, Vol. I. Butcher, S. H., editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1903.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This oration is a political speech delivered before the Athenian assembly, arguing for the maintenance of the peace treaty (Peace of Philocrates) established with Philip II of Macedon. At the outset, Demosthenes criticizes the citizens' habit of only deliberating after events have occurred, while establishing his own credibility by citing past prophecies that proved accurate. In the middle section, he emphasizes that his foresight stems from a lack of self-interest, urging Athens to respect the current peace treaty to avoid giving other Greek cities a common pretext for a joint war against them. Toward the end, he coolly analyzes the complex private interests of the Greek states and the danger of Athens' isolation. Ultimately, he warns against starting a reckless war that would unite all of Greece against Athens over an 'empty honor' concerning the control of Delphi, concluding with a strong plea to preserve the peace.