Even though Demosthenes persuaded many of the ancient Greek city-states to unite and take (failed) military action against Philip of Macedon, his friend Ctesiphon felt he should be honored anyway. Ctesiphon suggested that Demosthenes should be rewarded with a golden crown for his patriotic efforts. A rival Athenian leader, Aeschines, believed this suggestion was illegal and Ctesiphon was put on trial in 330 B.C. Aeschines spoke as the prosecution, giving a speech known as "Against Ctesiphon," which was primarily an indictment of Demosthenes. Demosthenes spoke in defense of his friend with what some believe was his greatest speech, "On the Crown;" he was successful and Ctesiphon was acquitted.

Considered one of his time's greatest orators, Demosthenes clearly knew a thing or two about speechifying. As a young man, he had studied under one of the great orators of the day, Isocrates. Whatever he learned must have rubbed off on the younger man. Some of Demosthenes's earliest speeches helped shaped what came to be known as "philippics," a word now associated not only with Demosthenes but with sharp speeches in general. The orator's First Philippic, as it came to be known. was an attempt by Demosthenes to warn his fellow Athenians about the dangers of taking a conciliatory tone toward the Macedonians [source: Livius].

In the course of time, things would not end well for Demosthenes. He made another attempt to marshal public opinion for a rise against Macedonia. It worked for about a year of battle, but in the end Macedonia triumphed at the battle of Crannon. It seems that at this point Athenians, no doubt sick of war, had had about enough of Demosthenes. Facing the scorn of his fellow citizens, with no speeches left to rally the citizenry, Demosthenes took his own life, an act some consider the death of political speech in Greek life [source: Livius].