"Against Leptines" was a speech given by Demosthenes in which he called for the repeal of a law sponsored by Leptines, which denied anyone a special exemption from paying public charges (leitourgiai). Leptines had proposed the law around the years 355-54 BC. Although the name of the speech highlights Leptines, the content focuses on the unconstitutional nature of the law, rather than the fact that Leptines was the one who proposed it. During the time of the speech, it was understood that enough time had passed in which Leptines was no longer in the legal limit to be held accountable for the passing of the law. For that reason, Leptines was not personally attacked in the speech. Rather, the speech exhibits peaceful, stylistic choices that were unique for the time because of the lack of personal attacks against Leptines.[1] Though Demosthenes wrote the speech for Ctesippus, the son of Chabrias, he delivered it himself.[2] It is thus the first speech which Demosthenes delivered in a public case.[3]
- ^ Martin, Gunther (September 2009). "7 Against Leptines (Or. 20)". Divine Talk. pp. 236–249. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199560226.003.0009. ISBN 978-0199560226.
- ^ West, William C. (1995). "The Decrees of Demosthenes' "Against Leptines"". Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik. 107: 239.
- ^ Dorjahn, Alfred P. (1955). "A Fourth Study on Demosthenes' Ability to Speak Extemporaneously". Classical Philology. 50 (3): 191. doi:10.1086/363916. S2CID 162195611.