Visions of Attica

Abstract

Chapter 15 examines Demosthenes’ warnings of a Macedonian attack on Attica. Since the fifth century, Attica had figured prominently in the political imagery of classical Athens; the defence of the Attic homeland against foreign invaders was highlighted in this imagery and the narratives that articulated the political identity of the Athenians, their self-perception as group, and the collective values on which they built their community. The chapter argues that Demosthenes’ warnings of a Macedonian threat to Attica were informed by this tradition, and that he drew on this old and emotive imagery in order to turn the struggle against his enemies into a matter of Athenian identity. After providing an overview of Attica as depicted in the political imagery of classical Athens, the chapter considers the theme of Attica under attack in Demosthenes’ oratory against Philip II of Macedon.