Demades

 ( 4th-century Bc Athenians ) 

Demades continued to be a favourite of Alexander, and, prompted by a bribe, saved Demosthenes and some other Athenian orators from his vengeance. It was also chiefly owing to him that Alexander, after the destruction of Thebes, treated Athens leniently.

Demades' conduct in supporting the Macedonian cause, yet receiving any bribes that were offered by the opposite party, led him to be heavily fined more than once; he was finally deprived of his civil rights. He was reinstated (322 BC) on the approach of Antipater, to whom he was sent as ambassador. Before setting out he persuaded the citizens to pass sentence of death upon Demosthenes and his followers, who had fled from Athens. The result of his embassy was the conclusion of a peace considered to be greatly to the disadvantage of the Athenians.

In 318 BC (or earlier), having been discovered involved in an intrigue with PerdiccasAccording to Plutarch, Phocion 30.5 Demades had conspired with Antigonus instead, this is however unlikely., Antipater's opponent, Demades was put to death by Antipater at Pella, when entrusted with another mission by the Athenians.

Demades was avaricious and unscrupulous, but he was a highly gifted and practised orator. According to Arrian, Demades was killed by Cassander, Antipater's son, after suffering the slaughtering of his child in his hands. Cassander justified his actions by accusing Demades that he had slandered Antipater in his letters to Perdiccas.Arrian, Events after Alexander par. 13, Photii Bibliotheca

A fragment of a speech, bearing his name, in which he defends his conduct, is to be found in C Müller's Oratores Attici, ii. 438, but its genuineness is considered to be doubtful.

The saying that "Draco's laws were written with blood, not with ink" is attributed to Demades.

He is also alleged Cambridge Ancient History, Vol. VI. (published 1927). Macedon, 401–301 B.C., Ch. 6 to have called the state largesse distributed by the Theorica the "cement of democracy".

• (2025). 9782910023225, Ausonius. ISBN 9782910023225
• (2025). 9781905125517, Classical Press of Wales. ISBN 9781905125517

• Minor Attic Orators, II, Lycurgus. Dinarchus. Demades. Hyperides, Harvard University Press, Loeb Classical Library, 1954.
• Demades – hero of an Aesopian fable