Libanius
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:57 am
Libanius
(1) When Alexander of Macedon restores the sons of the tyrant Philades to Messene, Demosthenes alleges that this is a violation of the treaties that he had made with the Athenians and the rest of the Greeks. He also says that the Macedonians have violated the treaties in many other ways, and he exhorts the people not to overlook this. (2) But the speech seems to be falsely ascribed. For it does not resemble Demosthenes’ other speeches in stylistic type (idea); rather, it closely corresponds to the stylistic character (character) of Hypereides, in that (among other things) it contains some words that sound more like him than like Demosthenes, such as “nouveaux riches” (neoploutoi) and “act like a brute” (bdelureuesthai).
— Notes —
The words are found in Dem. 17.23 and 17.11, respectively. Modern critics generally reject this speech.
(1) When Alexander of Macedon restores the sons of the tyrant Philades to Messene, Demosthenes alleges that this is a violation of the treaties that he had made with the Athenians and the rest of the Greeks. He also says that the Macedonians have violated the treaties in many other ways, and he exhorts the people not to overlook this. (2) But the speech seems to be falsely ascribed. For it does not resemble Demosthenes’ other speeches in stylistic type (idea); rather, it closely corresponds to the stylistic character (character) of Hypereides, in that (among other things) it contains some words that sound more like him than like Demosthenes, such as “nouveaux riches” (neoploutoi) and “act like a brute” (bdelureuesthai).
— Notes —
The words are found in Dem. 17.23 and 17.11, respectively. Modern critics generally reject this speech.