Excerpt from Orations of Demosthenes: Pronounced to Excite the Athenians Against Philip, King of Macedon, And on Occasions of Public Deliberation

This was the beginning of the struggle which was to end in the extinction of Greek liberties. The encroachments of the crafty Macedonian went on for six years, during which period be de stroyed Potidaa and founded Philippi. He seized Abdera and Marone, on the coast of Thrace, and Methone, in Thessaly. He dictated terms of peace to the king of Propontis, and formed an alliance with Byzantium, the portal of Asiatic trade. Twice had he invaded Thessaly, and at last began to lay plans against the confederacy of Olynthus. The popular assembly at Athens had for six years been occupied with debates on the encroachments of Philip. The famous Philippics of Demosthenes were de livered there between 351 b.c. And 341 b.c., and seven other speeches of warning against Philip were spoken during the same period. In the first Philippic the orator urged the point that the time for barren talk was past, something must be done and done in a deliberate and systematic way against the invader. He compares his countrymen in their struggle with Philip to an untrained boxer engaged with a professional. He propounds a definite plan of campaign against the Macedonians.

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