Speeches in
the assembly determine war, peace, taxes, all state business of
importance; speeches before the courts condemn or acquit citizens and
subjects. Power is in the hands of the orators; the people follow
their counsels and often commit to them important public functions:
Cleon is appointed general; Demosthenes directs the war against
Philip.
The orators have influence; they employ their talents in eloquence to
accuse their political enemies. Often they possess riches, for they
are paid for supporting one party or the other: AEschines is retained
by the king of Macedon; Demosthenes accepts fees from the king of
Persia.
Some of the orators, instead of delivering their own orations, wrote
speeches for others. When an Athenian citizen had a case at court, he
did not desire, as we do, that an advocate plead his case for him; the
law required that each speak in person. He therefore sought an orator
and had him compose a speech which he learned by heart and recited
before the tribunal.
Other orators travelled through the cities of Greece speaking on
subjects which pleased their fancy.
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