Source edition
Isocrates, Vol. 3. Van Hook, Larue, editor. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd., 1945 (printing).
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This oration is a funeral panegyric honoring the life and unparalleled virtues of Evagoras, the late king of Salamis in Cyprus. The author begins by discussing the challenges and significance of praising a historical individual in prose, contrasting it with the traditional privileges of poetry. The narrative then traces Evagoras's illustrious ancestry, his dramatic return from exile with a small band of followers, and his successful reclamation of the throne. It highlights his exemplary rule characterized by wisdom, justice, and key geopolitical achievements, such as his alliance with Athens and resistance against Persia. Finally, the work argues that a "portrait of virtue" (eidolon) rendered in discourse is far superior to physical statues, urging his son Nicocles to use his father’s glorious life as a moral guide for his own self-improvement.