Description

This book is a study of an influential fourth-century B.C. Athenian politician, Apollodoros the son of Pasion. It provides the first full-length treatment if his career and of the seven law-court speeches which he delivered, which have come down to us wrongly attributed to the famous orator Demosthenes. These speeches, that are our main source of information about Apollodoros, not only tell us about his political career but also illuminate Athenian banking and social attitudes, since his father had risen from servile origins to become a very wealthy banker and, ultimately, an Athenian citizen. Trevett also considers the authenticity, style, and rhetorical technique of the speeches, and argues conclusively that they were all written by the same author, who was probably Apollodoros himself. At the same time, he shows that the speeches were composed with considerably more skill than has generally been recognized.