Attic Nights, Vol. II

Critolaus wrote that ambassadors from Miletus came to Athens for the sake of public business, perhaps to ask for aid. Then those who were to speak on their behalf, whom it seemed appropriate to have called upon, having been called upon as was commanded, spoke before the people on behalf of the Milesians; Demosthenes responded sharply to the demands of the Milesians, arguing that the Milesians were not worthy of aid and that it was not in the interest of the state. The matter was postponed to the following day. The ambassadors came to Demosthenes and begged him with great effort not to speak against them; he asked for money and took as much as he had asked for. On the next day, when the matter began to be dealt with again, Demosthenes came forward to the people with much wool wrapped around his neck and throat and said that he was suffering from synanchen quinsy/sore throat; for that reason, he could not speak against the Milesians. Then one from the people exclaimed that it was not synanchen that Demosthenes was suffering from, but argyranchen silver-quinsy/bribery-induced silence.

Demosthenes himself, as the same Critolaus reports, did not conceal this afterward, but even claimed this for himself as a point of glory. For when he had asked Aristodemus, an actor of plays, how much he had received in payment to act, and Aristodemus had answered "a talent," he said: "But I received more to be silent."