Early 18th Century Marble Statue of Aeschines

Name: Early 18th Century Marble Statue of Aeschines
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA533539
Availability: SoldOut

18th century

Sold by Youngs Antiques

Description

A fine early 18th Century marble statue of Aeschines, after the antique in Rome.

Aeschines - (born 390 BC—died c. 314 BC), Athenian orator who advocated peace with Philip II of Macedonia and who was a bitter political opponent of the statesman Demosthenes.

Aeschines was brought up in humble circumstances, and in the early part of his career he worked as a tragic actor and held minor posts in the state service. In 346 BC he, like Demosthenes, was a member of the embassies to Philip II that resulted in the peace of Philocrates between Athens and Macedonia. During the negotiations Aeschines had sought to reconcile the Athenians to Macedonia’s expansion into Greece, and consequently, after the peace had been concluded, Demosthenes and Timarchus prepared to prosecute him for treason. In retaliation Aeschines successfully indicted Timarchus for gross immorality, and at his own trial in 343 he was acquitted by a narrow majority.

In 339, by provoking the council of the Amphictyonic League to declare a sacred war against the town of Amphissa, in Locris, Aeschines gave Philip a pretext on which to enter central Greece as the champion of the Amphictyonic forces. The eventual result was the establishment of Macedonian hegemony over central Greece (including Athens) after the Battle of Chaeronea (338). The bitter hostility between Aeschines and Demosthenes worsened in the years that followed. In 336 Aeschines brought suit against a certain Ctesiphon for illegally proposing the award of a crown to Demosthenes in recognition of his services to Athens. The case, tried in 330, concluded with the overwhelming defeat of Aeschines, largely, no doubt, because of Demosthenes’ brilliant speech for Ctesiphon (“On the Crown”). Aeschines left Athens for Rhodes, where he is said to have taught rhetoric.

Condition:

The Statue is in weathered country house condition. It does have a lot of ware but this is commiserate with its age.

Physical Dimensions

Height

122cm (48.03")

Width

42cm (16.54")

Depth

29cm (11.42")

Declaration

Youngs Antiques has dated this piece to the 18th Century.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA533539

Dealers Notes

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Description

A fine early 18th Century marble statue of Aeschines, after the antique in Rome.

Aeschines - (born 390 BC—died c.

“

314 BC), Athenian orator who advocated peace with Philip II of Macedonia and who was a bitter political opponent of the statesman Demosthenes.

Youngs Antiques

fig 1. Early 18th Century marble Statue of Aeschines — fig 1. Early 18th Century Marble Statue of Aeschines

Aeschines was brought up in humble circumstances, and in the early part of his career he worked as a tragic actor and held minor posts in the state service. In 346 BC he, like Demosthenes, was a member of the embassies to Philip II that resulted in the peace of Philocrates between Athens and Macedonia. During the negotiations Aeschines had sought to reconcile the Athenians to Macedonia’s expansion into Greece, and consequently, after the peace had been concluded, Demosthenes and Timarchus prepared to prosecute him for treason. In retaliation Aeschines successfully indicted Timarchus for gross immorality, and at his own trial in 343 he was acquitted by a narrow majority.

fig 2. Early 18th Century marble Statue of Aeschines — fig 2. Early 18th Century Marble Statue of Aeschines

In 339, by provoking the council of the Amphictyonic League to declare a sacred war against the town of Amphissa, in Locris, Aeschines gave Philip a pretext on which to enter central Greece as the champion of the Amphictyonic forces. The eventual result was the establishment of Macedonian hegemony over central Greece (including Athens) after the Battle of Chaeronea (338). The bitter hostility between Aeschines and Demosthenes worsened in the years that followed. In 336 Aeschines brought suit against a certain Ctesiphon for illegally proposing the award of a crown to Demosthenes in recognition of his services to Athens. The case, tried in 330, concluded with the overwhelming defeat of Aeschines, largely, no doubt, because of Demosthenes’ brilliant speech for Ctesiphon (“On the Crown”). Aeschines left Athens for Rhodes, where he is said to have taught rhetoric.

Condition:

The Statue is in weathered country house condition. It does have a lot of ware but this is commiserate with its age.