Demosthenes — Short Works

"Against Meidias" is one of the most famous judicial orations of the prominent Athenian statesman and orator Demosthenes.

"Against Androtion" was a speech composed by Demosthenes in which he accused Androtion of making an illegal proposal. This was the first surviving speech of Demosthenes composed on public charges.

"Against Leptines" was a speech given by Demosthenes in which he called for the repeal of a law sponsored by Leptines, which denied anyone a special exemption from paying public charges (leitourgiai). Leptines had proposed the law around the years 355–54 BC. Although the name of the speech highlights Leptines, the content focuses on the unconstitutional nature of the law, rather than the fact that Leptines was the one who proposed it. During the time of the speech, it was understood that enough time had passed in which Leptines was no longer in the legal limit to be held accountable for the passing of the law. For that reason, Leptines was not personally attacked in the speech. Rather, the speech exhibits peaceful, stylistic choices that were unique for the time because of the lack of personal attacks against Leptines. Though Demosthenes wrote the speech for Ctesippus, the son of Chabrias, he delivered it himself. It is thus the first speech which Demosthenes delivered in a public case.

"Against Timocrates" was a speech given by Demosthenes in Athens in which he accused Timocrates of proposing an illegal decree. The speech provides our best evidence about the use of imprisonment as a punishment in Classical Athens.

The "First Philippic" was delivered by the Athenian statesman and orator Demosthenes between 351–350 BC. It constitutes the first speech of the prominent politician against Philip II of Macedon. A philippic refers to a type of speech that is negative in tone and one that is comparable to a rant or a tirade.

The "Second Philippic" is an oration that was delivered by the Athenian statesman and orator Demosthenes between 344–343 BC. The speech constitutes the second of the four philippics the orator is said to have delivered.

The "Third Philippic" was delivered by the prominent Athenian statesman and orator, Demosthenes, in 341 BC. It constitutes the third of the four philippics.

The Fourth Philippic is a speech attributed to the Athenian statesman and orator, Demosthenes and given in 341 BC. It constitutes the last of the four philippics. Modern scholars, however, consider that the speech is not Demosthenes' work and may be attributed to Anaximenes of Lampsacus who frequently wrote imagined dialogues or speeches for real figures. If it was a genuine Demosthenic speech, it is likely that it was issued in pamphlet form rather than actually delivered as a speech.

c. 338-324 BC

Two speeches "Against Aristogeiton" are preserved in the corpus of Demosthenes, as speeches 25 and 26. Both purport to come from a prosecution of Aristogeiton initiated by Lycurgus on the grounds that Aristogeiton had initiated prosecutions and made speeches in the assembly when he was disenfranchised. Since the 19th century, the authenticity of both speeches has been doubted.