Demosthenes, younger than Isocrates, was born in the deme of Paeania (Attica) in 384. He died in 322 in sanctuary at the temple of Poseidon on Poros, committing suicide by hemlock rather than fall into the hands of the political enemies who had hunted him down.
The basic difference between Isocrates and Demosthenes is that the former restricted himself to expressing his poliitical views in writing, but the latter was actively engaged in the political developments of his time. Whereas Isocrates looked to Philip of Macedon to save Hellas, inviting him to be the leader of the united Hellenes, Demosthenes called on all Hellenes to unite against Philip, aware of the danger that Philip would enslave the cities, particularly Athens.
The coalition of cities was defeated by Philip at the decisive battle of Chaeronea. This setback did not stop Demosthenes carrying on the struggle against Macedonian rule. He was a prime mover in the Athenians' and Thebans' move to revolt after Alexander's death, a revolt crushed by Alexander. Demosthenes' efforts to liberate Athens from the Macedonian yoke went on even after Alexander's death. Once more he swung into action in the uprising of Hellenic cities, a step which led to Antipater and the Macedonian sympathisers in Athens pronouncing a death sentence on him. It was then that he fled for safety to Poros, there to die.
Demosthenes chiefly sets out his political views in his four 'Philippic' speeches and his three Olynthiac speeches. Other speeches which he wrote in the course of his active engagement also have elements of his political position. His political speeches apart, he also wrote speeches on other people's behalf. This happened particularly at the start of his career: the speeches were 'pot-boilers', since his guardians had squandered the considerable estate of Demosthenes' father, an entrepreneur and arms manufacturer.
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