Minor Attic Orators, Volume I: Antiphon. Andocides - Hardcover

Antiphon; Andocides

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0674993403 ISBN 13: 9780674993402

Publisher: Harvard University Press, 1941

Synopsis

Two ill-fated rhetoricians.

Antiphon of Athens, born in 480 BC, spent his prime in the great period of Athens but, disliking democracy, was himself an ardent oligarch who with others set up a violent short-lived oligarchy in 411. The restored democracy executed him for treason. He had been a writer of speeches for other people involved in litigation. Of the fifteen surviving works three concern real murder cases. The others are exercises in speechcraft consisting of three tetralogies, each tetralogy comprising four skeleton speeches: accuser’s; defendant’s; accuser’s reply; defendant’s counter-reply.

Andocides of Athens, born ca. 440 BC, disliked the extremes of both democracy and oligarchy. Involved in religious scandal in 415 BC, he went into exile. After at least two efforts to return, he did so under the amnesty of 403. In 399 he was acquitted on a charge of profaning the Mysteries and in 391–390 took part in an abortive peace embassy to Sparta. Extant speeches are: On His Return (a plea on his second attempt); On the Mysteries (a self-defense); On the Peace with Sparta. The speech Against Alcibiades (the notorious politician) is suspect.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 1941
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0674993403
• ISBN 13: 9780674993402
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 608