The Comparison of Demosthenes and Cicero   

stood in need of their assistance; as Charas, Diopithes, and Leosthenes
of Demosthenes's, Pompey and young Caesar of Cicero's, as the latter
himself admits in his Memoirs addressed to Agrippa and Maecenas. But
what are thought and commonly said most to demonstrate and try the
tempers of men, namely, authority and place, by moving every passion,
and discovering every frailty, these are things which Demosthenes
never received; nor was he ever in a position to give such proof of
himself, having never obtained any eminent office, nor led any of
those armies into the field against Philip which he raised by his
eloquence. Cicero, on the other hand, was sent quaestor into Sicily,
and proconsul into Cilicia and Cappadocia, at a time when avarice
was at the height, and the commanders and governors who were employed
abroad, as though they thought it a mean thing to steal, set themselves
to seize by open force; so that it seemed no heinous matter to take
bribes, but he that did it most moderately was in good esteem. And
yet he, at this time, gave the most abundant proofs alike of his contempt
of riches and of his humanity and good-nature. And at Rome, when he
was created consul in name, but indeed received sovereign and dictatorial
authority against Catiline and his conspirators, he attested the truth
of Plato's prediction, that then the miseries of states would be at
an end when, by a happy fortune, supreme power, wisdom, and justice
should be united in one.
It is said, to the reproach of Demosthenes, that his eloquence was
mercenary that he privately made orations for Phormion and Apollodorus,
though adversaries in the same cause; that he was charged with moneys
received from the King of Persia, and condemned for bribes from Harpalus.
And should we grant that all those (and they are not few) who have
made these statements against him have spoken what is untrue, yet
that Demosthenes was not the character to look without desire on the
presents offered him out of respect and gratitude by royal persons,
and that one who lent money on maritime usury was likely to be thus
indifferent, is what we cannot assert. But that Cicero refused, from
the Sicilians when he was quaestor, from the King of Cappadocia when
he was proconsul, and from his friends at Rome when he was in exile,
many presents, though urged to receive them, has been said already.
Moreover, Demosthenes's banishment was infamous, upon conviction for
bribery; Cicero's very honourable, for ridding his country of a set
of villains. Therefore, when Demosthenes fled his country, no man
regarded it; for Cicero's sake the senate changed their habit, and
put on mourning, and would not be persuaded to make any act before
Cicero's return was decreed. Cicero, however, passed his exile idly
in Macedonia. But the very exile of Demosthenes made up a great part
of the services he did for his country; for he went through the cities
of Greece, and everywhere, as we have said, joined in the conflict
on behalf of the Grecians, driving out the Macedonian ambassadors,
and approving himself a much better citizen than Themistocles and
Alcibiades did in the like fortune. And, after his return, he again
devoted himself to the same public service, and continued firm to
his opposition to Antipater and the Macedonians. Whereas Laelius reproached
Cicero in the senate for sitting silent when Caesar, a beardless youth,
asked leave to come forward, contrary to the law, as a candidate for
the consulship; and Brutus, in his epistles, charges him with nursing
and rearing a greater and more heavy tyranny than that they had removed.
Finally, Cicero's death excites our pity; for an old man to be miserably
carried up and down by his servants, flying and hiding himself from
that death which was, in the course of nature, so near at hand; and
yet at last to be murdered. Demosthenes, though he seemed at first
a little to supplicate, yet, by his preparing and keeping the poison
by him, demands our admiration; and still more admirable was his using
it. When the temple of the god no longer afforded him a sanctuary,
he took refuge, as it were, at a mightier altar, freeing himself from
arms and soldiers, and laughing to scorn the cruelty of Antipater.
THE END