For the Megalopolitans
For the Megalopolitans (Ancient Greek: Ὑπὲρ τῶν Μεγαλοπολιτῶν) was one of the first political orations of the prominent Athenian statesman and orator Demosthenes. It was delivered in 352 BC and constitutes one of the initial political interventions of Demosthenes. In 352 BC, Sparta endeavored to reestablish its preeminence in the Peloponnese and to undo Epaminondas' achievements. Because of Thebes' war with the Phocians, Spartans thought that they could easily overturn Arcadia's independence. Therefore, they sent troops to Megalopolis, which asked for Athens' support and military assistance. Sparta tried also to gain Athens' alliance, promising to help the Athenians to seize Oropos. The Ecclesia convened in order to take the final decision and Demosthenes was among those who expressed their opinion.
In For the Megalopolitans, Demosthenes asserted that Athens must send troops to assist the Megalopolitans against Sparta. Proposing such a policy, he bluntly opposed Eubulus's faction, which was against any military excursion. Demosthenes, on the other hand, sought for the restoration of Athens' glory and, for this purpose, he believed that his city should participate in military conflicts around Greece, recreating strong alliances and reinstating itself as an hegemony. It seems that the orator did not manage to convince his countrymen. Thebes, however, managed to send its own troops to Peloponnese, preserving the status quo imposed by Epaminondas.
External links
| ||||||||||||||