which is their own and not the things of Jesus Christ, both lose that which is their own and do not gain that which is Christ’s!  He then exults in Christ’s glory, who seeks not his glory but Christ’s, and he understands that, in ourselves, there is nothing of which we can boast, since we have nothing that is our own.  And this is the way in which, in individual men, the City of Confusion is overthrown, when chastity expels luxury, fortitude overthrows temptations, humility excludes vanity.  Furthermore, we have sanctification from the faith and sacraments of Christ, fortitude from the love of Christ, exultation in the hope of the promises of Christ.  Let us each do what we can, that faith may sanctify us, love strengthen us, and hope make us joyful in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be honor and glory forever and forever.  Amen.

AESCHINES (389-314 B.C.)

Professor R. C. Jebe says of Aeschines, the rival of Demosthenes for supremacy at Athens, that when the Rhodians asked him to teach them oratory, he replied that he did not know it himself.  He took pride in being looked upon as a representative of natural oratorical genius who had had little help from the traditions of the schools.  “If, however, Aeschines was no rhetorical artist,” writes Doctor Jebb, “he brought to public speaking the twofold training of the actor and the scribe.  He had a magnificent voice under perfect musical control.  ‘He compares me to the sirens,’ says Aeschines of his rival.”

First known as an actor, playing “tritagonist” in the tragedies of Sophocles and the other great Athenian dramatists, Aeschines was afterwards clerk to one of the minor officials at Athens; then secretary to Aristophon and Eubulos, well-known public men, and later still secretary of the ekklesia or assembly.

The greatest event of his life was his contest with Demosthenes ’De Corona’ (Over the Crown).  When Ktesiphon proposed that Athens should bestow a wreath of gold on Demosthenes for his public services, Aechines, after the bill proposing it had come before the assembly, challenged it and gave notice of his intention to proceed against Ktesiphon for proposing an unconstitutional measure.  One of the allegations in support of its unconstitutionally was that “to record a bill describing Demosthenes as a public benefactor was to deposit a lying document among the public archives.”  The issues were thus joined between Aeschines and Demosthenes for one of the most celebrated forensic contests in history.  Losing the case Aeschines went into banishment.  He died at Samos, B.C. 314, in his seventy-fifth year.  He is generally ranked next to Demosthenes among Greek orators.  For the following from the oration of Aeschines, the reader is under obligations to Professor Jebb’s admirable translation.

AGAINST CROWNING DEMOSTHENES (Against Ktesiphon)