A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

:
The orators:
Demosthenes,
384-
322 B.C.
A ncient
World, 271 f.,
287 f.
72 Introduction to the Sources
Philosophy While the age was one of political decline, the intellect
was coming to maturity in the greatest
Plato, about
427-347 B.C.
philosophic
lb. 288 f.
Aristotle,
384-322 B.C.
cerning the customs and character of Greeks and foreigners
of his own age. From this point of view his Anabasis
will be found especially attractive.
His Hellenica narrates
the political and military events of Greece from 411 to
362 B.C. It is valuable as our only continuous account
of that period by a contemporary writer. Among his
briefer works are the Constitution of the Lacedaemonians
and the Economist. The former in an idealizing spirit
refers the origin of the Lacedaemonian institutions to
Lycurgus; the latter, treating of the management of a
household, presents a charming picture of private Athenian
life.
For the political, economic, and social conditions of
the fourth century we find the contemporary orators a
valuable source. We have many of their judicial speeches
dealing with property, damages, adoptions, and inheritances
as well as with crimes. Others, delivered before
the popular assembly, have to do with public affairs.
The
career of Demosthenes as a statesman belongs to the latter
half of the century.
His greatness lies not only in the
perfect mastery of every possible power and resource
of oratory, but even more in his championship of local
freedom against encroaching imperialism.
writers of the ancient world—Plato and Aristotle.
Plato,
gifted with a splendid poetic imagination, was an idealist.
Though less creative, Aristotle had a genius for system,
employed in reducing to scientific order the knowledge
accumulated by the ancients down to his own time. The
greatest of Plato's works is the Republic; second in importance
among his political writings is the Laws. From
the works of Aristotle the student of history will prefer