Against Demosthenes

Hyperides. Minor Attic Orators, Vol. 2. Burtt, J. O., editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1954 (printing).

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This work is an accusatory oration delivering a severe indictment against Demosthenes, the leading Athenian orator, in the wake of the Harpalus affair involving bribery from a Macedonian fugitive. The accuser begins by pointing out the contradiction in Demosthenes' behavior; having initially proposed that the Areopagus Council investigate the matter, he began to slander the council as soon as their findings proved unfavorable to him. The speech exposes how Demosthenes neglected his duty of managing the funds and personally accepted bribes, dismantling his excuse that the money was an advance loan to the state. Furthermore, the accuser charges him with political betrayal, arguing that under the guise of public service, he actually accommodated Alexander the Great and hindered anti-Macedonian coalitions. Finally, the orator urges the jurors to ignore Demosthenes' pathetic pleas and to deliver a strict and just verdict for the sake of the city.