Lysias (Loeb Classical Library No. 244) [Hardcover]

Lysias (Author), W.R.M. Lamb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1930 | ISBN-10: 0674992695 | ISBN-13: 978-0674992696

Lysias (ca. 458–ca. 380 BCE), born at Athens, son of a wealthy Syracusan settled in Attica, lived in Peiraeus, where with his brother he inherited his father's shield factory. Being a loyal supporter of democracy, Lysias took the side of the democrats at Athens against the Thirty Tyrants in 404, supplying shields and money. After one political speech in accusation of Eratosthenes (one of the Thirty) in 405, he became at Athens a busy professional speech writer for the law courts. At the Olympic festival of 388 he denounced, with riotous results, the costly display of the embassy sent by Dionysius I of Syracuse and the domination of Sicily by Dionysius.

The surviving speeches of Lysias (about thirty complete out of a very much larger number) are fluent, simple and graceful in style yet vivid in description. They suggest a passionate partisan who was also a gentle humorous man. We see in him the art of oratory young and fresh.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A highly readable and nicely produced translation of the corpus of Lysias ...Todd's translation possesses many of the virtues of Lysias' own style. It is consistently lucid in its language, appealing in its tone, and persuasive by the apparent effortlessness of its art. He provides a reliable and readable translation of the whole corpus of Lysias, with the necessary minimum of explanatory notes and introductions, for Greekless readers. Readers already familiar with these speeches may not find too much that is new, but they still gain a worthy modern translation which includes the most substantial fragments, some recent bibliography, and a wonderful tool with which to introduce others to Lysias. For all students of Greek history and oratory, this volume, as well as this whole series, is a most welcome and well conceived project." Bryn Mawr Classical Review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Greek --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 736 pages
• Publisher: Loeb Classical Library (January 1, 1930)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674992695
• ISBN-13: 978-0674992696
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,254,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Magnificent, July 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Lysias (The Oratory of Classical Greece) (Hardcover)

This is truly a masterly piece of work. At last the speeches of Lysias have been given the attention they have been long over due. The author has successfully produced a modern translation of the extant works of this great Greek logographer. Lucid and insightful this work is easily accessible for those with a general interest in Ancient History, as well as both A-Level Ancient Historians and undergraduate level students who possess no or limited knowledge of the ancient Greek language.

The author's most notable achievement is that of the quality of the translation. Textual emendations and inferred passages are clearly provided, as are the alternate readings and meanings of the Greek text. However, the erudition of both author and book are clearly evident. Each speech is preceded by a detailed introduction outlining important events referred to within the text as well as political ties and historical events that often form the background to the case in question. This often-invaluable introduction is used to highlight effectively the subtleties of the cases but it can be undisputed to state that the true appeal of the book is in its majestic grasp of language. The obvious skill of the author lies in his ability to capture the true atmosphere of the speeches whilst at the same time providing a clear and lucid translation.

Whether you possess a general interest in the ancient world or are a student in Classics or Ancient History is irrelevant - academic works simply do not come any better than this! A must for all bookcases!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lysias, July 28, 2007

By 

Aage Elvig - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lysias (Loeb Classical Library No. 244) (Hardcover)

This is a very instructive and handy book. I very much appreciate the pages printed in Greek letters as well as the English translation, which is a great help, especially because it is very close to the original version.

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of OCG's Lysias, January 16, 2010

By 

Ryan S. Mease "scott.godwin" (Chicago, IL, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lysias (Oratory of Classical Greece) (Paperback)

It's really hard to criticize this collection. Not only does it have all the excellent features of the OCG series (footnotes and extensive, individualized introductions), but it also includes a history and recommends commentaries on each piece. The introductions speak to dating estimates of many speeches, making it even more interesting and thorough than the other members of this already pristine collection.