Demosthenes

This work belongs to you: this privilege your ancestors bequeathed to you, the prize of many perilous exertions.

But if every one will sit seeking his pleasure, and studying to be idle himself, never will he find others to do his work, and more than this, I fear we shall be under the necessity of doing all that we like not at one time.

That it is not possible to restrain him in such course by speeches and harangues, no man can be ignorant: or, if other reasons fail to convince you, reflect on this.

And those, that hold the government through him, have prevailed by all the means efficacious in worldly affairs; principally and mainly, by having a person to bribe the corruptible; secondly, a point no less important, by having at their…

You were insensible, indifferent to all his aggressions; gave no intimation that you would not permit their continuance.

He wishes for empire: he believes you to be his only opponents.

Besides these important considerations, he is assured that, though he became master of every thing else, nothing can be safe for him while you are under popular government: should any reverse ever befall him, (and many may happen to a…

For you are not inclined yourselves to encroach and usurp dominion; but famous rather for checking the usurper or depriving him of his conquests, ever ready to molest the aspirants for empire, and vindicate the liberty of all nations.

Nothing, O men of Athens, have you ever set on foot or contrived rightly in the beginning: you always follow the event, stop when you are too late, on any new occurrence prepare and bustle again.

Should any man think that these are affairs of great expense and toil and difficulty, he thinks rightly enough: but let him consider what the consequences to Athens must be, if she refuse so to act, and he will find it is our interest to…

But what may be called the necessity of freemen is not only come, but past long ago; and that of slaves you must surely deprecate.

To a freeman shame for what is occurring is the strongest necessity; I know of none stronger that can be mentioned: to a slave, stripes and bodily chastisement; abominable things! too shocking to name!

Plunder of the treasury should be prevented by devising a plan for its safe custody, not by abandoning our interests.

Yet this very thing makes me indignant, that some of you are pained at the thought of your treasury being robbed, though it depends on yourselves to guard it and to punish the criminal, but are not pained to see Philip plundering Greece…

How comes it, ye men of Athens, that of this flagrant aggressor, this capturer of cities, no one has ever declared that he commits hostility or injustice, while those who counsel against submission and sacrifice are charged as the authors…

The reason is, that people wish to cast upon your faithful counselors the blame of any untoward events in the war; for war must necessarily be attended with many misfortunes.

If so, we must be slaves; for nothing else remains.

For the riches of a state I consider to be allies, confidence, good-will; of all which you are destitute.

They say that you should keep quiet, though you are injured; but they can not themselves keep quiet among you, though no one injures them.

First then you must assume, that he is an irreconcilable enemy of our constitution and democracy; secondly, you must be convinced, that all his operations and contrivances are designed for the injury of our state.

To be backward, men of Athens, in performing those services to which the person and property of every one are liable, is wrong, very wrong, and yet it admits of some excuse: but refusing even to bear what is necessary to be heard, and fit…

When Philip is preparing, you, instead of doing the like and making counter-preparation, remain listless, and, if any one speaks a word, clamor him down: when you receive news that any place is lost or besieged, then you listen and prepare.

But the time to have heard and consulted was then when you declined; the time to act and employ your preparations is now that you are hearing.

Such being your habits, you are the only people who adopt this singular course: others deliberate usually before action, you deliberate after action.

Nothing in the world does Athens need so much, as money for approaching exigencies.