As a vessel is known by the sound, whether it be cracked or not; so men are proved, by their speeches, whether they be wise or foolish.

After Philip's death Demosthenes played a leading part in his city's uprising against the new King of Macedonia Alexander the Great. θəniːz/ Greek: Δημοσθένης Dēmosthénēs [dɛːmostʰénɛːs]; 384–322 BC) was a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens. His father—also named Demosthenes—who belonged to the local tribe Pandionis and lived in the deme of Paeania in the Athenian countryside was a wealthy sword-maker.

Demosthenes grew interested in politics during his time as a logographer and in 354 BC he gave his first public political speeches. After Philip's death Demosthenes played a leading part in his city's uprising against the new King of Macedonia Alexander the Great. He sought to preserve his city's freedom and to establish an alliance against Macedon in an unsuccessful attempt to impede Philip's plans to expand his influence southwards by conquering all the other Greek states.