Source edition
Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol. V. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1893.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
The Lives of the Ten Orators is a biographical work detailing the lives, careers, and achievements of the ten canonical Athenian orators who flourished from the Golden Age of Athens to the rise of Macedon. The figures treated in this work are Antiphon, Andocides, Lysias, Isocrates, Isaeus, Aeschines, Lycurgus, Demosthenes, Hyperides, and Dinarchus. Each biography examines the orator's lineage, education, distinctive rhetorical style, and major works, while also tracing their political involvements, exiles, and often tragic ends. The narrative is enriched with memorable anecdotes, such as Demosthenes' rigorous self-discipline to overcome physical impediments and Lycurgus' financial administration of Athens. Furthermore, the text incorporates official Athenian decrees honoring these statesmen, providing a vivid glimpse into the civic and legal culture of the period. Through these individual portraits, the work offers a multi-faceted overview of the intersection between the development of rhetoric and the turbulent history of democratic Athens.