Selected Speeches

by Lysias, Christopher Carey (Editor)

The Greek writer Lysias is a fascinating source for the study of Athenian law, society and history in the late fifth century B.C. Six of his professional legal speeches are included in this new edition, both for their intrinsic interest and for the accessibility of their language. In his introduction, Dr. Carey discusses Lysias' life and place in the evolution of Greek prose style and in the development of Greek rhetoric. He approaches the speeches as attempts to secure a verdict favorable to the speaker and assesses how effectively the selection and deployment of arguments promote this end. He addresses textual issues and problems of Lysias' style and syntax, while focusing particularly on literary concerns: Lysias' use of rhetorical devices, his marshalling of fact and argument and his manipulation of contemporary values and prejudices.

Genres: Classics

230 pages, Paperback

First published August 2, 1970

About the author

Lysias (Greek: Λυσίας) (ca. 445 BC – ca. 380 BC) was a logographer (speech writer) in Ancient Greece. He was one of the ten Attic orators included in the "Alexandrian Canon" compiled by Aristophanes of Byzantium and Aristarchus of Samothrace in the third century BC.

Reviews

[Kevin Nobel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks, Lysias, for the big confidence booster in my Greek skills 😉

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

read speech 7, concerning sacred stumps