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Diabolè was at the heart of the rhetorical practices of the classical age. It consisted in ascribing to your opponent acts or features that could make him lose his credibility in the eyes of the audience. In the speeches that brought him into conflict with Demosthenes, Aeschines liked to question the manliness of his opponent, thus regularly associating him with femininity. This process allowed him to blame Demosthenes for feminine flaws like cowardice or an inclination towards luxury and, in so doing, to deny his ability to direct the political life of the city. At the same time, the feminizing process bore a comic dimension, through which Aeschines expected to obtain the sympathy of the audience.