in answer to the needs of the time, and there must once have been a great many of such compositions existing. We possess, however, only specimens from the ten Attic Orators: Antiphon (B.C. 480–411); Andocides (B.C. 435–387); Lysias (c. B.C. 450–373); Isaeus (c. B.C. 420–348); Isocrates (B.C. 436–338); Lycurgus (B.C. 396–323); Aeschines (B.C. 387–314); Demosthenes (B.C. 384–322); Hypereides (B.C. 396–322); Deinarchus (B.C. 361–285).
Of these Lysias was mainly a speech-writer for others, though some of the orations were delivered in his own name and in his own interests; Isocrates wrote for the most part pamphlets in the form of speeches; Isaeus in his extant speeches confines himself to cases of disputed claims under wills. From the others we have one or more speeches on special subjects, as that of Andocides on the violation of the mysteries, but most of them are in favour of or against the anti-Macedonian policy of Demosthenes. Of the three surviving speeches of Aeschines one is on the embassy to Philip on which he and Demosthenes served, and one is in prosecution of the man who proposed to "crown" Demosthenes. The answer of Demosthenes to both is extant. As literature far the most important in number and splendour of style are the orations of Demosthenes. Though a considerable number of them are purely forensic—spoken by himself or his clients in private lawsuits, the most notable are those which relate to public questions, and they are for the most part connected with his policy of opposition to the designs of Philip,
king of Macedonia—the Olynthiacs, the Philippics,
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