Eschine

old Eschine in Greek Αἰσχίνης / Aiskhínês , born with Athens towards 390 av. J. - C., died with Rhodos in 314 av. J. - C., one of the ten Speakers attics, Athenian politician.

Biography

Born in a poor family, he embraces various careers in his youth: teacher, then soldier, then actor, then scribe in various administrations of the city. In 348, after the fall of Olynthe to the hands of Philippe II of Macedonia, it is pointed out by defending the idea of a great meeting of the cities against the Macedonian. It takes part in an embassy sent in Arcadie for this purpose, but essuie a failure which discourages it so much that it changes party, and claims from now on peace with Philippe.

In 346, it thus negotiates the Paix of Philocrate with him, and almost at once, is marked by Timarque, a partisan of Démosthène, corruption and complicity with Philippe. Eschine produces its speech Against Timarque , and is discharged easily. In 343 Démosthène returns to the load, writing for this occasion its speech On the embassy , which Eschine answers by its On the false embassy . This time, he is discharged from accuracy. In 339, it belongs to the Athenian delegates sent to the Amphictyonie of Delphes - to be deputy Athenian it is necessary to be made élir pilagore. Furious of the charges of Amphissa against Athens, it is carried and convinced the amphictyonie to punish Amphissa, culprit to have cultivated the plain crowned of Grated, thus starting one of the crowned Guerres.

In 336, Ctésiphon proposes to vote the attribution of a gold crown with Démosthène, to be itself well led in the exercise of its loads. Eschine seizes the occasion and attacks Ctésiphon in illegality, because Démosthène was not subjected yet to rendering of account for the loads in question. It is the occasion of the most famous speech of Démosthène, On the crown . Finally, not having even obtained a fifth of the voices, he is condemned like slanderer, is subjected to a fine of 1000 Drachme S and sees himself prohibiting to carry felt sorry for.

He withdraws himself with Éphèse, then with Rhodos where he opens a school of Rhétorique. He dies there in 75 years, having survived his large Démosthène rival.

Works

It remains us of Eschine only three speeches, the Against Timarque , On the false embassy and Against Ctésiphon .

He was regarded as the speaker more the brilliance of his time, Démosthène except. Large improviser and technician, it missed nevertheless the strength and the transport of this last. Autodidact, Eschine complied with the rules of traditional rhetoric scupuleusement, in particular with regard to the composition of the speech. Nevertheless, it had also the direction of the irony, witness this famous passage of the Against Ctésiphon (166) where, parodying the metaphors in Démosthène, it lends to Ctésiphon absurd and ridiculous images:

“One disbuds the republic; the nerves of the democracy were suddenly sliced; we are bent, tightened like plaits…”

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