Lysias , born with Athens in 440, died in 380 av. J. - C., is one of the ten Orateurs attics retained by the Canon alexandrine.

For an article on the Syrian general of the 2nd front century J. - C., to see Lysias (general)

Its life

Born in Athens, Lysias is a Métèque. His/her father, Képhalos, are a merchant of weapon syracusain destined for Athens by Périclès. Lysias thereafter became Isotèle, i.e. foreign privileged.

It is high with wire of the Athenian high society then at fifteen years leaves to Thourioi to join the lately founded colony in Grande Greece, where it studies the Rhétorique. However the failure in 412 of Athenian forwarding in Sicily encourages it to return to Athens.

It there exerts the trade of rhetor and exploits with his brother Polémarque a factory of shield S. They thus acquire a fortune which attracts to them troubles under the dictatorship of the Thirty Tyrants. Both are stopped (404) like suspects: Lysias succeeds in escaping from Mégare but his/her brother is put at death. He renders great services to the democrats of Phylum in their providing money (2000 drachmas), shields (200), and approximately 300 mercenaries (whom he enlists with his expenses), thus taking part in the re-establishment of the democracy.

To reward it for its services, once the restored democracy, Thrasybule propose to grant the established among to him. Measurement is voted with the people, but the normal procedure not having been respected (the decree is carried before the assembly without passing by the Council), the decree is reported. Lysias will remain isotèle.

In (403) it brings a lawsuit with the murderer of its brother, Ératosthène, one of the Thirty Tyrants. This business highlighted its talent of speaker, and consequently it was made logographe.

Sources:

• Lysias, Against Eratosthène

Pseudo-Plutarque
• , Life of the ten speakers

Its work

The speech Against Ératosthène (one of the Thirty, person in charge of died of its brother), is the only one that he pronounced itself. The others were written for customers, with load for them then to pronounce it, at the time of lawsuit of more or less great importance: in one of them, for example ( For the invalid ), an old man pleads so that the State maintains its small pension of poor to him.

According to Denys d' Halicarnasse, Lysias composed 233 speeches of which there remains only one about thirty today.