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siphon； and the celebrated reply of Demosthenes in his speech DE CORONA。 After the banishment of AEschines on this occasion （B。C。 330）； he employed himself in teaching rhetoric at Rhodes。 He died in Samos in 314。 As an orator he was second only to Demosthenes。
Of the life of his great rival； DEMOSTHENES； we have already given some account。 The verdict of his contemporaries； ratified by posterity； has pronounced Demosthenes the greatest； orator that ever lived。 The principal element of his success must be traced in his purity of purpose； which gave to his arguments all the force of conscientious conviction。 The effect of his speeches was still further heightened by a wonderful and almost magic force of diction。 The grace and vivacity of his delivery are attested by the well…known anecdote of AEschines； when he read at Rhodes his speech against Ctesiphon。 His audience having expressed their surprise that he should have been defeated after such an oration 〃You would cease to wonder；〃 he remarked； 〃if you had heard Demosthenes。〃
The remaining three Attic orators； viz。 LYCURGUS； HYPERIDES； and DINARCHUS； were contemporaries of Demosthenes。 Lycurgus and Hyperides both belonged to the anti…Macedonian party； and were warm supporters of the policy of Demosthenes。 Dinarchus； who is the least important of the Attic orators； survived Demosthenes； and was a friend of Demetrius Phalereus。
The history of Greek PHILOSOPHY； like that of Greek poetry and history； began in Asia Minor。 The earliest philosopher of distinction was THALES of Miletus； who was born about B。C。 640； and died in 554 at the age of 90。 He was the founder of the IONIC school of philosophy； and to him were traced the first beginnings of geometry and astronomy。 The main doctrine of his philosophical system was； that water； or fluid substance was the single original element from which everything came and into which everything returned。 ANAXIMANDER； the successor of Thales in the Ionic school； lived from B。C。 610 to 547。 He was distinguished for his knowledge of astronomy and geography； and is said to have been the first to introduce the use of the sun…dial into Greece。 ANAXIMENES； the third in the series of the Ionian philosophers； lived a little later than Anaximander。 He endeavoured； like Thales； to derive the origin of all material things from a single element； and； according to his theory； air was the source of life。
A new path was struck out by ANAXAGORAS Of Clazomenae； the most illustrious of the Ionic philosophers。 He came to Athens in 480 B。C。； where he continued to teach for thirty years； numbering among his hearers Pericles； Socrates； and Euripides。 He abandoned the system of his predecessors； and； instead of regarding some elementary form of matter as the origin of all things； he conceived a supreme mind or intelligence； distinct from the visible world； to have imparted form and order to the chaos of nature。 These innovations afforded the Athenians a pretext for indicting Anaxagoras of impiety； though it is probable that his connexion with Pericles was the real cause of that proceeding （see Ch。IX）。 It was only through the influence and eloquence of Pericles that he was not put to death； but he was sentenced to pay a fine of five talents and quit Athens。 The philosopher retired to Lampsacus； where he died at the age of 72。
The second school of Greek philosophy was the ELEATIC which derived its name from Elea or Velia； a Greek colony on the western coast of Southern Italy。 It was founded by XENOPHANES of Colophon； who fled to Elea on the conquest of his native land by the Persians。 He conceived the whole of nature to be God。
The third school of philosophy was the PYTHAGOREAN； founded by PYTHAGORAS。 He was a native of Samos and was born about B。C。 580。 His father was an opulent merchant； and Pythagoras himself travelled extensively in the East。 He believed in the transmigration of souls； and later writers relate that Pythagoras asserted that his own soul had formerly dwelt in the body of the Trojan Euphorbus； the son of Panthous； who was slain by Menelaus； and that in proof of his assertion he took down； at first sight；the shield of Euphorbus from the temple of Hera （Juno） at Argos； where it had been dedicated by Menelaus。 Pythagoras was distinguished by his knowledge of geometry and arithmetic； and it was probably from his teaching that the Pythagoreans were led to regard numbers in some mysterious manner as the basis and essence of all things。 He was however more of the religious teacher than of the philosopher； and he looked upon himself as a being destined by the gods to reveal to his disciples a new and a purer mode of life。 He founded at Croton in Italy a kind of religious brotherhood； the members of which were bound together by peculiar rites and observances。 Everything done and taught in the fraternity was kept a profound secret from all without its pale。 It appears that the members had some private signs； like Freemasons； by which they could recognise each other； even if they had never met before。 His doctrines spread rapidly over Magna Graecia； and clubs of a similar character were established at Sybaris； Metapontum； Tarentum； and other cities。
At Athens a new direction was given to the study of philosophy by Socrates； of whom an account has been already given。 To his teaching either directly of indirectly may be traced the origin of the four principal Grecian schools： the ACADEMICIANS； established by Plato； the PERIPATETICS； founded by his pupil Aristotle； the EPICUREANS； so named from their master Epicurus； and the STOICS； founded by Zeno。
PLATO was born at Athens in 429 B。C。； the year in which Pericles died。 His first literary attempts were in poetry； but his attention was soon turned to philosophy by the teaching of Socrates； whose lectures he began to frequent at about the age of twenty。 From that time till the death of Socrates he appears to have lived in the closest intimacy with that philosopher。 After that event Plato withdrew to Megara； and subsequently undertook some extensive travels； in the course of which he visited Cyrene； Egypt； Sicily； and Magna Graecia。 His intercourse with the elder and the younger Dionysius at Syracuse has been already related His absence from Athens lasted about twelve years； on his return； being then upwards of forty； he began to teach in the gymnasium of the Academy。 His doctrines were too recondite for the popular ear； and his lectures were not very numerously attended。 But he had a narrower circle of devoted admirers and disciples； consisting of about twenty…eight persons； who met in his private house； over the vestibule of which was inscribed〃Let no one enter who is ignorant of geometry。〃 The most distinguished of this little band of auditors were Speusippus； his nephew and successor； and Aristotle。 He died in 347； at the age of 81 or 82； and bequeathed his garden to his school。
ARISTOTLE was born in 381 B。C。； at Stagira； a seaport town of Chalcidice； whence he is frequently called THE STAGIRITE。 At the age of 17； Aristotle； who had then lost both father and mother； repaired to Athens。 Plato considered him his best scholar； and called him 〃the intelle