Antiphon: The Speeches

This volume provides a commentary on the six surviving speeches of the fifth-century BC Athenian orator Antiphon, all of which concern homicide, together with a fragment of Antiphon’s final speech at his own trial for treason in 411 BC. The commentary discusses grammatical, stylistic, textual, legal, rhetorical, historical and other matters and focuses especially on Antiphon’s argumentation and forensic strategy: why he presents these arguments in this particular way. The work includes a new Greek text which restores some of the special qualities of Antiphon’s style that twentieth-century editors have edited out and a substantial introduction to the life and work of Antiphon, the nature of Athenian law and legal oratory and the style and textual tradition of Antiphon.

• Frst commentary in any language on Antiphon since 1838 • Antiphon is a very useful text for teaching undergraduates to read Greek - not too complicated and interesting subject matter • The volume provides a good introduction to Athenian law and legal oratory, especially to homicide law

Introduction: 1. Attic oratory; 2. Life of Antiphon; 3. Works; 4. Athenian law; 5. Law and oratory; the sophists; 6. Antiphon’s forensic argumentation; 7. The rhetoric of law; 8. Language and style; 9. Text; 10. Abbreviations; Text; Commentary; Bibliography; Indices.

‘This is an excellent volume for anyone needing to read Antiphon closely, and will provide much of the assistance required by experienced students,’

– James Hutchinson, JACT