Hegesippus was a statesman and orator, nicknamed "knot", probably from the way in which he wore his hair. He lived in the time of
Demosthenes
Demosthenes (; el, Δημοσθένης, translit=Dēmosthénēs; ; 384 – 12 October 322 BC) was a Greek statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual pr ...
, whose anti-Macedonian policy he enthusiastically supported. In 343 BC, he was one of the ambassadors sent to Macedonia to discuss, amongst other matters, the restoration of the island of
Halonnesus, which had been seized by king
Philip of
Macedonia. The mission was unsuccessful, but soon afterwards Philip wrote to Athens, offering to resign possession of the island or to submit to arbitration the question of ownership. In reply to this letter the oration ''
De Halonneso'' was delivered, which, although included among the speeches of Demosthenes, is generally considered to be by Hegesippus.
Dionysius of Halicarnassus and
Plutarch
Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...
, however, favour the authorship of Demosthenes.
The Middle Comedy poet
Crobylus is sometimes "confounded" with Hegesippus.
Sources
* This work in turn cites:
**Demosthenes: ''De falsa legatione'', pp. 364, 447; ''De corona'' p. 250; ''Philippica'', iii, p. 129.
**Plutarch: ''Demosthenes'', p. 17; ''Apophthegmata'', p. 187D
**Dionysius Halicarnassus. ''ad Ammaeum'', i.
**Grote. ''History of Greece'', ch. 90.
*Smith, William. ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'', 1870, London. p. 896.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hegesippus
4th-century BC Greek politicians
4th-century BC Athenians