In 349 BC, Philip II of Macedon attacked Olynthus, which at the time was an ally of Athens.
In the "First Olynthiac", Demosthenes exhorted the Athenians to vote an expedition at once, to make instant preparation for its dispatch and to send ambassadors to state their intentions and watch events.
[1] He then proposed the reform of the "theoric fund" ("Theorika" were allowances paid by the state to poor Athenians to enable them to watch dramatic festivals).
In the "Second Olynthiac", the orator bluntly expressed his annoyance for the dubious stance of his countrymen and for the fact that they remain idle.
In the "Third Olynthiac" he insulted Philip, characterizing him as a "barbarian"[3] and warned his compatriots that the King of Macedon is quick to seize his opportunity, now yielding a point when it suits his purpose.
[5] Despite Demosthenes' warnings, the Athenians engaged in a useless war in Euboea[6] and offered no military support to Olynthus.
All the three Olynthiacs demonstrate the passionate spirit of the Athenian statesman and his fervent desire to motivate his countrymen.
He mentioned how he believed the best course of action for the nation is to enact an incredibly high tax upon the people to fund the expedition.
He then turned to asking Athenians to accept a higher tax in order to support the war effort.
He makes the claim that he is shocked that Athens has made it through previous wars due to their lack of action towards threats to them.
A request that the people of Athens look back in time and see what they used to be and hopefully decide that Philip must be stopped by any means necessary.