The Olynthiacs were three political speeches, all delivered by the Athenian statesman and orator Demosthenes

Demosthenes

Demosthenes was a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide an insight into the politics and culture of ancient Greece during the 4th century BC. Demosthenes learned rhetoric by...

. In 349 BC

349 BC

Year 349 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Camillus and Crassus...

 Philip II of Macedon

Philip II of Macedon

Philip II of Macedon "friend" + ἵππος "horse" — transliterated ; 382 – 336 BC), was a king of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III.-Biography:...

 attacked Olynthus

Olynthus

Olynthus was an ancient city of Chalcidice, built mostly on two flat-topped hills 30–40m in height, in a fertile plain at the head of the Gulf of Torone, near the neck of the peninsula of Pallene, about 2.5 kilometers from the sea, and about 60 stadia Olynthus was an ancient city of...

, which at the time was an ally of Athens. In the Olynthiacs, delivered in 349 BC, Demosthenes urged Athens to help Olynthus.

Historical framework

When Philip was enthroned, he cajoled the Chalkidian League

Chalkidian League

The Chalkidian League was a federal state that existed on the shores of the north west Aegean from around 430 BCE until it was destroyed by Philip II of Macedon in 348 BCE.-History:...

, but, after the seizure of Amphipolis and the Macedonian expansion in Thrace

Thrace

Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...

, Philip sought for the elimination of the Chalkidian League and for the destruction of its most powerful city, Olynthus. The Olynthians foresaw the danger and struck a deal with the Athenians, who had been their enemies. In 350 BC

350 BC

Year 350 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Laenas and Scipio...

, Philip had already seized thirty-two cities of the Chalcidike. The next year Olynthus sent successive delegations to Athens, asking desperately for military support, but the Athenians displayed no willingness for a military operation far away from their city.

Content of the orations

In the First Olynthiac, Demosthenes exhorted the Athenians to vote an expedition at once, to make instant preparation for its dispatch and to send ambassadors to state their intentions and watch events. He then proposed the reform of the "theoric fund" ("Theorika" were allowances paid by the state to poor Athenians to enable them to watch dramatic festivals). In the Second Olynthiac, the orator bluntly expressed his annoyance for the dubious stance of his countrymen and for the fact that they remain idle. He also insisted that Philip was not invincible. In the Third Olynthiac he insulted Philip, characterizing him as a "barbarian" and warned his compatriots that the King of Macedon is quick to seize his opportunity, now yielding a point when it suits his purpose. He called for two distinct expeditions; one military force must be dispatched to rescue the Olynthians, and a second force, both naval and military, to ravage Philip's territory. He finally demanded a better utilization of the public money for the attainment of success abroad. Despite Demosthenes' warnings, the Athenians engaged in a useless war in Euboea and offered no military support to Olynthus. When they decided to implement some of his suggestions, the timing was wrong and their troops inadequate.

Assessments

The Third Olynthiac is regarded as the best of the three speeches and one of the best political orations of Demosthenes. It is distinguished because of the boldness of the expressed political ideas and the variety of oratorical means and expressions. All the three Olynthiacs demonstrate the passionate spirit of the Athenian statesman and his fervent desire to motivate his countrymen.