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When he was thirty-seven years old, reckoning from the archonship of Dexitheus385-384 b.c. to that of Callimachus,349-348 b.c. who was in office when an embassy came from the Olynthians asking for help because they were being hard pressed by Philip in the war, he persuaded the Athenians to send the help; but in the following year, in which Plato died,348-347 b.c. Philip overthrew the Olynthians. Xenophon, the follower of Socrates, knew him either in his youth or in his prime; for Xenophon’s Hellenica ended with the battle of Mantineia and the archonship of Charicles,363-362 b.c. and Demosthenes had already before that time, in the archonship of Timocrates,324-323 b.c. caused the conviction of his guardians. When Aeschines fled after his condemnation,Aeschines brought a suit on grounds of illegality against Ctesiphon, who proposed in 336 b.c. that Demosthenes be honoured by the city with a golden crown. The case was tried in 330 b.c., when Aeschines delivered his oration Against Ctesiphon and Demosthenes his oration On the Crown. Aeschines received less than one-fifth of the votes of the dicasts, and was therefore condemned to pay a fine of 1000 drachmas and to forfeit the right to bring any similar suit. he followed him on horseback, and Aeschines, thinking he was arresting him, fell at his feet and covered his head, but Demosthenes raised him up, encouraged him, and gave him a talent of silver. And he advised the people to support a force of mercenaries at Thasos, and sailed out as commander of a trireme on that occasion. After he had been in charge of the food supply he was accused of embezzlement but was acquitted. When Philip had taken Elateia Demosthenes himself went out with those who fought at Chaeroneia,In 338 b.c., when Philip destroyed the independence of Greece. on which occasion it appears that he deserted his post, and that, as he was running away, a bramble-bush caught his cloak, whereupon he turned and said, Take me alive. And he had as a device on his shield the words With good fortune. Apparently a jest in connexion with the story of his cowardice. However, he delivered the funeral address for those who fell.This indicates that he had not disgraced himself. And after that, directing his efforts to the improvement of the city and being elected commissioner in charge of the fortifications, he contributed out of his own pocket the funds expended, amounting to one hundred minae; he also presented ten thousand drachmasOn these contributions Cf. Aeschines, iii. (Against Ctesiphon) 17, and Demosthenes, xviii. (On the Crown) 118. for sacred envoys,Delegations sent to sacred places to attend festivals and the like. and he made a cruise in a trireme to the allied cities collecting money. For these activities he was crowned many times, on earlier occasions on motions offered by Demomeles, Aristonicus, and Hypereides with golden crowns, and the last time on the motion of Ctesiphon; and when the decree granting this honour was attacked as illegal by Diodotus and Aeschines, he was so successful in his defence that the accuser did not receive one-fifth of the votes.
