Lysias was a professional speechwriter, or logographer, who worked in Athens during the late 5th and early 4th centuries BCE. He was not an Athenian citizen but a metic, a resident alien. His wealthy family's life was upended by the oligarchic regime known as the Thirty Tyrants, which seized power in 404 BCE. The regime executed his brother and confiscated their property. Lysias escaped and helped fund the democratic resistance.
After democracy was restored, he returned to Athens but was denied citizenship. He then built a career writing courtroom speeches for others to deliver. Over 200 speeches were attributed to him in antiquity, but only 35 survive in whole or in part. Most are forensic speeches, written for real legal cases involving murder, inheritance, business, and politics. One of the most famous, Against Eratosthenes, is the only speech he delivered himself, accusing a member of the Thirty Tyrants of killing his brother.
His works are celebrated for their clear, persuasive style that seemed artlessly suited to the character of the client. His speeches provide evidence for Athenian law, daily life, and social history. As a non-citizen, his writings also offer a distinct perspective on Athenian society. His style was highly praised in antiquity and his works became standard models for the study of rhetoric.
Available Works
Also published as PDF.