Demetrius, Antony, and the Comparison of Demetrius and Antony Summary and Analysis

Demetrius was a Macedonian general, the son of Antigonus, who became King of Macedon after a career as a general. He freed Athens from the control of Cassander and was named along with his father as deities by the Athenians. Demetrius' status in Athens reversed more than once, however. After he liberated the city a second time, the Athenians found his personal behavior repulsive and were insulted when he demanded a large sum of money from them, which he squandered. Demetrius was reconciled to the Athenians once again, however, after saving them from a blockade that had created widespread famine.

Plutarch writes that Demetrius and his father began to think of themselves as kings, as did Cassander, the king of Macedon. Upon the death of...