Aeschines: The Voice of Realism and the Rival of Demosthenes
In the high-stakes world of 4th-century BCE Athenian politics, few figures were as controversial or as eloquent as Aeschines. An actor turned statesman, Aeschines is primarily remembered as the great antagonist of Demosthenes. Their rivalry was not merely personal; it represented a fundamental clash over the future of Athens in the face of the rising power of Macedon.
1. From the Stage to the Rostrum
Aeschines’ path to power was unconventional. Unlike many of his aristocratic peers, he came from a modest background.
• The Actor: Early in his life, Aeschines worked as a professional actor. This training gave him a distinct advantage in the Pnyx (the assembly place), as he possessed a resonant, commanding voice and a masterful sense of dramatic timing.
• The Clerk: He also served as a legal clerk, which provided him with a deep, technical understanding of Athenian law—a weapon he would later use to devastating effect against his political enemies.
2. The Macedonian Question
The central crisis of Aeschines’ career was the expansion of Philip II of Macedon (the father of Alexander the Great). Athenian politicians were split into two camps:
1. The War Party (Demosthenes): Argued that Philip was a barbarian tyrant who must be resisted at all costs to preserve Athenian liberty.
2. The Peace Party (Aeschines): Argued that Athens lacked the resources to defeat Macedon and that a diplomatic settlement was the only way to prevent the city’s total destruction.
In 346 BCE, Aeschines served as an envoy in the negotiation of the Peace of Philocrates. While the treaty brought a temporary halt to hostilities, it was deeply unpopular in Athens. Demosthenes accused Aeschines of taking bribes from Philip to betray Athenian interests.
3. The Trials of the Orators
The rivalry between Aeschines and Demosthenes resulted in two of the most famous legal battles in Western history.
On the False Embassy (343 BCE)
Demosthenes prosecuted Aeschines for treason regarding his conduct during the peace negotiations with Philip. Aeschines defended himself with a brilliant speech, narrowly winning the acquittal by only thirty votes. He argued that his “pro-Macedonian” stance was not treason, but a pragmatic recognition of reality.
Against Ctesiphon (The Trial of the Crown, 330 BCE)
Years later, after Athens had been defeated by Philip at the Battle of Chaeronea, a man named Ctesiphon proposed that Demosthenes be awarded a golden crown for his services to the city. Aeschines sued Ctesiphon, claiming the proposal was illegal. This was a proxy war; Aeschines was effectively putting Demosthenes’ entire career on trial.
4. Defeat and Exile
In the Trial of the Crown, Aeschines delivered a scathing attack on Demosthenes’ failures. However, Demosthenes countered with his masterpiece, On the Crown. The jury overwhelmingly sided with Demosthenes.
Because Aeschines failed to receive even one-fifth of the votes, he was heavily fined and forced into exile according to Athenian law. He spent the remainder of his life in Rhodes, where he reportedly opened a school of rhetoric. Legend says that when his students praised his speech against Demosthenes, Aeschines replied: “You would not praise it if you had heard the monster himself delivering his reply.”
5. Style and Legacy
Aeschines is counted as one of the Ten Attic Orators. His style was noted for being:
• Natural and Lucid: He avoided the dense, complex metaphors favored by Demosthenes.
• Vituperative: He was a master of personal insults, often mocking Demosthenes’ family background and “unmanly” behavior.
• Legalistic: His speeches are invaluable to historians today because they quote extensively from Athenian laws and decrees.
While history has often favored Demosthenes as the “patriot,” modern historians view Aeschines more sympathetically as a realist who tried to navigate a path of survival for a city that no longer had the military power to dictate terms to the world.