Demosthenes' Philippics (Archive Episode)

In Our Time

BBC

History

4.6 • 9.2K Ratings

🗓️ 28 August 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the speeches that became a byword for fierce attacks on political opponents. It was in the 4th century BC, in Athens, that Demosthenes delivered these speeches against the tyrant Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, when Philip appeared a growing threat to Athens and its allies and Demosthenes feared his fellow citizens were set on appeasement. In what became known as The Philippics, Demosthenes tried to persuade Athenians to act against Macedon before it was too late; eventually he succeeded in stirring them, even if the Macedonians later prevailed. For these speeches prompting resistance, Demosthenes became famous as one of the Athenian democracy’s greatest freedom fighters. Later, in Rome, Cicero's attacks on Mark Antony were styled on Demosthenes and these too became known as Philippics.

With Paul Cartledge A. G. Leventis Senior Research Fellow at Clare College, University of Cambridge

Kathryn Tempest Reader in Latin Literature and Roman History at the University of Roehampton

And

Jon Hesk Reader in Greek and Classical Studies at the University of St Andrews

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Melvyn Bragg and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Rory Stewart and I grew up wanting to be a hero and I'm still fascinated by the ideas of heroism.
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0:23.1	their own light and that light is to be recognised by others. The long history of heroism
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0:37.0	In our times on its annual break,
0:38.8	and we'll be back on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds on the 18th of September.
0:44.5	Until then, each week, we're offering an episode chosen from our archive of over a thousand programmes,
0:50.0	which I hope you'll enjoy. Have a good summer.
0:53.3	Hello, in the 4th century BC in Athens,
0:56.5	Demosthenes delivered speeches so powerful
0:59.0	that he became famous as one of that democracy's greatest freedom fighters.
1:04.3	His target was the tyrant Philip of Macedon,
1:07.3	father of Alexander the Great,
1:09.1	who to Demosthenese appeared a growing threat.
1:12.2	In what became known as the Philippics, DeMotsonese tried to persuade Athenians to act
1:17.0	before it was too late, and eventually he succeeded, even if the Macedonians later prevailed.
1:23.6	With me to discuss DeMotsonese Philippics are Paul Cartledge, A.G. Levantis Senior Research Fellow at Clare College University of Cambridge.
1:31.3	Catherine Tempest, reader in Latin Literature and Roman History at the University of Rohampton,
1:36.0	and John Hesk, reader in Greek and classical studies at the University of Stantras.
1:40.5	John Hesk, what do we know of Namusatis early life?
	...

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