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Introduction.

Antiphon.

Andocides.

Lysias.

Isocrates.

→ Isaeus.

Demosthenes.

Aeschines.

Hypereides.

Lycurgus.

Apollodoros.

Deinarchus.

Index of Citations

General Index

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Orator Biographies 

David D. Phillips, with K. Kapparis, edition of March 27, 2003

page 6 of 12

· Isaeus ·

Read about the evidence
Aristotle (Aristot. Ath. Pol.).
Isaeus (Isaeus 1).
Isaeus (Isaeus 11).
Isaeus (Isaeus 12).
 
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Chalcidice (in text as “Chalcidian”).

Isaeus son of Diagoras (ca. 420-post 344/3) is one of the least well-known Attic orators. The ancients themselves could not agree on whether he was Athenian or Chalcidian by birth. A student of Isocrates, he worked as a speechwriter and also taught the art of rhetoric; his most famous student was Demosthenes. Isaeus’ specialty was inheritance law, a difficult and fruitful area of litigation even by Athenian standards ([Arist.] Ath. Pol. 9.2). The eleven speeches of Isaeus which survive entire (1-11) are all concerned, directly or indirectly, with inheritance disputes; the speech “For Euphiletus” (12) deals with the restoration of citizenship. (See also Oratory.)

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page 6 of 12