Ctesiphon proposed by decree that Demosthenes be honored with a golden crown for his services to the homeland. Aeschines challenged the decree as illegal. Demosthenes responds with the present speech, an excellent example of his rhetorical ability and patriotism. Demosthenes was born in 384 BC in Athens. At a young age, he was orphaned by his father and placed under the guardianship of trustees, whom he prosecuted for mismanagement of his estate upon reaching adulthood. Initially, he worked as a speechwriter, entering the political arena in 354 BC, where he excelled as a leader of the anti-Macedonian faction. However, the Battle of Chaeronea marked the end of his political career. His involvement in the Harpalus affair (324) led to charges of bribery: he was convicted, fled, but managed to return to Athens and lead new anti-Macedonian movements. His failure led to his exile and persecution once again; facing the threat of arrest, he committed suicide (322 BC) by drinking hemlock on the island of Calauria (Poros). As an orator, Demosthenes provided masterful examples of political and private speeches, becoming a model for many of his successors, both Greek and Roman. As a politician, navigating between pragmatism and utopia, he was the most fervent advocate of faith in Athenian greatness, perhaps the brightest figure among history's defeated. [Excerpt from publisher or edition presentation text]