Greek Orators IX

Isaeus Orations 5 and 11

Isaeus, a professional speechwriter and expert in inheritance law, wrote Orations 5 and 11 for litigants from elite Athenian families engaged in bitter and protracted disputes over the property of their deceased relatives. The speeches provide a wealth of information on various aspects of law and litigation in the Athenian courts, including wills, enforcement of contracts, guardianship of orphans, oral and written witness testimony, prosecution for false testimony, character evidence, the choice between ‘public’ and ‘private’ actions, and methods of voting by the judges.

New translations and commentaries guide the reader through complex genealogies and intricate chronologies. Textual and linguistic issues are addressed, but the main focus is on the interplay between law and rhetoric: by identifying and explaining the legal issues in each case, the aim is to show how Isaeus deployed his outstanding rhetorical skills to support his client’s legal case, even if the facts were hard to prove.

The combination of text, translation, and commentary makes the speeches accessible to readers with little or no knowledge of classical Greek as well as more advanced students. No familiarity with Athenian law is assumed, but the book will also be useful to specialists seeking a deeper understanding of Isaeus’s work.

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