Lives of the Attic Orators

Book excerpt: This volume provides a complete translation of, and historical and historiographical commentary on, the lives of the ten Attic orators given by Pseudo-Plutarch, Photius, and the Suda. Assessing these works as important historical sources for the individual lives and careers of the orators whose works have survived, this systematic study explores how these literary biographies were constructed, the information they provide, and their veracity. In-depth commentary notes offer contextual information, explain references and examine individual rhetorical phrases, and a glossary of technical terms provides a quick reference guide to the more obscure oratorical and political terms. The volume also includes a detailed introduction which discusses the evolution of Greek oratory and rhetoric; the so-called Canon of the Ten Orators; the authorship, dates, and sources of the biographies provided by Pseudo-Plutarch, Photius, and the Suda; and a brief consideration of orators whose speeches were either falsely attributed to Demosthenes or may be referenced in the ancient lives.