The "First Philippic" was delivered by the Athenian statesman and orator Demosthenes between 351 BC-350 BC. It constitutes the first speech of the prominent politician against Philip II of Macedon. A philippic refers to a type of speech that is negative in tone and one that is comparable to a rant or a tirade.[1]
This speech is said to have been Demosthenes' first powerful speech that he made in his lifetime; his earlier speeches were weak in tone and argument, as a result of which he had to practice over the years in order to produce the First Philippic as one of his most impactful ones.[2]
Some scholars have debated on whether Demosthenes' philippics can be referred to as speeches, but rather "political pamphlets, cast in the form of speeches, designed for immediate effect on public opinion."[3] In other words, they are utilized by his allies to spread his political views. The previous author also discusses the possibility that his speeches could have been prepared in advance; during preparation, Demosthenes filtered out prominent details and contextual information and only kept certain key points which he believed to have been necessary for his audience. As a result, they were not the speeches in their entirely, merely abridged versions.[3] This is also known as the "pamphlet theory."