What do you think?
Rate this book
Ancient Lives
Demosthenes: Democracy's Defender
The tragic story of ancient Greece’s last democratic leader and his doomed fight to save Athens from Macedonian domination
In the spring of 340 BCE, news arrived that Philip of Macedon had seized a town in central Greece, a base from which he could march on Athens. In the fierce debates about how to respond to the rising threat in the North, Demosthenes, the greatest orator of his day, goaded the Athenian Assembly into confronting Philip on the field of battle. Though that effort failed and Athens fell under the grip of Alexander the Great, Philip’s son and successor, Demosthenes had established himself as one of history’s most eloquent defenders of democracy.
In this thrilling biography of the man who led the charge for Greek freedom, James Romm follows Demosthenes from his early career as a legal speech writer through his rise in politics, his fall from grace in a corruption scandal, and his desperate flight to the island of Calauria—where he took his own life rather than submit to Macedonian forces. As he brings to life the bare-knuckle, insult-filled verbal brawls of Athenian orators, Romm not only explores the mind of the man who took on the challenge of saving Greek freedom but also shows how democracies can be destroyed by infighting and internal division.
In the spring of 340 BCE, news arrived that Philip of Macedon had seized a town in central Greece, a base from which he could march on Athens. In the fierce debates about how to respond to the rising threat in the North, Demosthenes, the greatest orator of his day, goaded the Athenian Assembly into confronting Philip on the field of battle. Though that effort failed and Athens fell under the grip of Alexander the Great, Philip’s son and successor, Demosthenes had established himself as one of history’s most eloquent defenders of democracy.
In this thrilling biography of the man who led the charge for Greek freedom, James Romm follows Demosthenes from his early career as a legal speech writer through his rise in politics, his fall from grace in a corruption scandal, and his desperate flight to the island of Calauria—where he took his own life rather than submit to Macedonian forces. As he brings to life the bare-knuckle, insult-filled verbal brawls of Athenian orators, Romm not only explores the mind of the man who took on the challenge of saving Greek freedom but also shows how democracies can be destroyed by infighting and internal division.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2025
1 person is currently reading
116 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 11, 2025
Demosthenes (384-322 BC) was one of the greatest orators in Ancient Greece and a champion of Athenian democracy. He was known for staying up late into the night to write his speeches before the dema amd is mostly remembered for his attacks against Philip of Macedon (hence the term philippic). He warned his fellow citizens that Macdeon couldn't be trusted and that Athens must act quickly and forcefully to save it's democracy l.
But there were times that Demosthenes over extended himself, which ultimately led to Alexander the Great's destruction of Thebes, an ally of Athens. Alexander said he would spare Athens if Demothenes and several others were handed over to him. Ultimately, Athens sent a negotiator to spare these men.
Nonetheless, Alexander's successor in Macedon, Antipater, wasn't as forgiving and had bounty hunters hunt Demosthenes down. He ultimately consumed poison at the temple of Posiden off the Greek mainland.
This was a really interesting read, and it really says how much politics hasn't changed when it comes to accusations and name calling.
But there were times that Demosthenes over extended himself, which ultimately led to Alexander the Great's destruction of Thebes, an ally of Athens. Alexander said he would spare Athens if Demothenes and several others were handed over to him. Ultimately, Athens sent a negotiator to spare these men.
Nonetheless, Alexander's successor in Macedon, Antipater, wasn't as forgiving and had bounty hunters hunt Demosthenes down. He ultimately consumed poison at the temple of Posiden off the Greek mainland.
This was a really interesting read, and it really says how much politics hasn't changed when it comes to accusations and name calling.
Read
January 21, 2026‘Demo-cracy’: power/might of the demos. ‘Demo-sthenes’: strength to/for/with the demos. Demosthenes’ father may have been unimaginative – he had himself been named ‘Demosthenes’ – but like the famous Pericles, father of the homonymous younger Pericles, he knew what he was doing. He may have been super-rich (from his large holding of slaves manufacturing either knives or couches), but he wanted it advertised that he was a man of the people (demos): that he identified with the poor majority of Athenian citizens in the world’s first adult male suffrage democracy.
Demosthenes junior lived up to, indeed far exceeded, all the hopes loaded onto his name. Born in 384 BC, just a few years after another lost war against a non-democratic Sparta aided by monarchist-imperial Persia, he won his oratorical spurs at a very young age in Athens’ popular jury courts, persuading mass juries of his peers that he’d been done out of his rightful inheritance by his father’s three unscrupulous and greedy executors. Attaching himself at first to the coat-tails of moderate politicians such as Euboulus, he struck out on his own in the later 350s, as the rising politico-military menace of dynastic autocrat Philip II of Macedon, an enemy of Athens since 357, loomed large over all mainland Greek affairs.
Read the rest of the review at https://www.historytoday.com/archive/...
Paul Cartledge is A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture Emeritus at the University of Cambridge.
Demosthenes junior lived up to, indeed far exceeded, all the hopes loaded onto his name. Born in 384 BC, just a few years after another lost war against a non-democratic Sparta aided by monarchist-imperial Persia, he won his oratorical spurs at a very young age in Athens’ popular jury courts, persuading mass juries of his peers that he’d been done out of his rightful inheritance by his father’s three unscrupulous and greedy executors. Attaching himself at first to the coat-tails of moderate politicians such as Euboulus, he struck out on his own in the later 350s, as the rising politico-military menace of dynastic autocrat Philip II of Macedon, an enemy of Athens since 357, loomed large over all mainland Greek affairs.
Read the rest of the review at https://www.historytoday.com/archive/...
Paul Cartledge is A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture Emeritus at the University of Cambridge.
February 6, 2026
Great mini biography of the last legendary democrat of Athens. A shame that his strategic instincts on how to conduct foreign policy were never as good as his beliefs on how to preserve his democracy.
Didn’t love the author’s on the nose references to modern politics at points in the book, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Honestly wish it was a bit longer and had given even longer excerpts from the speech’s that survive.
Didn’t love the author’s on the nose references to modern politics at points in the book, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Honestly wish it was a bit longer and had given even longer excerpts from the speech’s that survive.
December 29, 2025
Truly enjoyed this short biography of Demosthenes. Romm dramatizes a very public rivalry between Demosthenes and Aeschines. The trial of Ctesiphon is the highlight of the book, followed closely by the vivid reconstruction of the disaster at Chaeronea. The letters from exile in Troezen offer a solid epitaph for a democratic apologist who mastered rhetoric more than war
December 30, 2025
A very interesting book, I had seen Demosthenes mentioned earlier this year in the same series in Phocion. The book really does a good job of explaining his life and his pitfalls. I enjoy how Romm writes, and he's definitely made another interesting book. Would recommend. 5/5
January 18, 2026
A damning portrayal of Athenian democracy.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews