Demosthenes

The Society's namesake, Demosthenes, stands as a monument to inspire all members. When Demosthenes was swindled out of his inheritance, he went to plead his case before the Athens council, but was ridiculed because of his harsh and unmusical voice, weak lungs, and awkward movements. Plutarch tells the story of his rise to prominence. Determined to overcome his speech impediments, he practiced reciting as he climbed steep hills, and he defied the roar of the waves upon the seashore to drown out the sound of his voice. He shut himself up in a cave, shaved half his head to remove any temptation to return to the outside world, and polished his speech to incandescence by speaking with pebbles in his mouth. Through these efforts, Demosthenes became one of Athens' greatest statesmen and one of history's greatest orators.

Throughout his life he espoused democratic principles. He roused Athens against Philip II by his great Philippics, and later against Philip's son Alexander the Great. In so doing he incurred the enmity of Aeschines, who argued that Philip's intentions were peaceable; Demosthenes succeeded in having Aeschines ostracized (330), but was himself later forced into exile (324). Recalled after Alexander's death (323), he fled Alexander's successor and committed suicide.