Demosthenes (384–322 BC, , Dēmosthénēs) was a well-known Greek statesman and orator from ancient Athens. His speeches show the height of classical Athenian skill at speaking. They also show us lots about the politics and culture of ancient Greece during the 4th century BC. Demosthenes learned rhetoric by studying the speeches of previous great orators. He delivered his first law court speeches when he was twenty. He argued effectively to gain from his guardians what was left of his inheritance. For a time, Demosthenes made his living as a professional speech-writer and a lawyer, writing speeches for use in private legal suits.