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    collection
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    Contents:
  • Speech 1: To Demonicus
  • Speech 2: To Nicocles
  • Speech 3: Nicocles or the Cyprians
  • Speech 4: Panegyricus
  • Speech 5: To Philip
  • Speech 6: Archidamus
  • Speech 7: Areopagiticus
  • Speech 8: On the Peace
  • Speech 9: Evagoras
  • Speech 10: Helen
  • Speech 11: Busiris
  • Speech 12: Panathenaicus
  • Speech 13: Against the Sophists
  • Speech 14: Plataicus
  • Speech 15: Antidosis
  • Speech 16: Concerning the Team of Horses
  • Speech 17: Trapeziticus
  • Speech 18: Against Callimachus
  • Speech 19: Aegineticus
  • Speech 20: Against Lochites
  • Speech 21: Against Euthynus
    		•

    Isocrates, Speeches and Letters (ed. George Norlin)

    Editions and translations: Greek (ed. George Norlin) | English (ed. George Norlin)
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    Antidosis

    If the discourse which is now about to be read1 had been like the speeches which are produced either for the law-courts2 or for oratorical display,3 I should not, I suppose, have prefaced it by any explanation. Since, however, it is novel and different in character, it is necessary to begin by setting forth the reasons why I chose to write a discourse so unlike any other; for if I neglected to make this clear, my speech would, no doubt, impress many as curious and strange.

    [2] The fact is that, although I have known that some of the sophists4 traduce my occupation, saying that it has to do with writing speeches for the courts,5 very much as one might have the effrontery to call Pheidias, who wrought our statue of Athena,6 a doll-maker, or say that Zeuxis and Parrhasius7 practiced the same art as the sign-painters,8 nevertheless I have never deigned to defend myself against their attempts to belittle me,

    1 Cf. Isoc. 5.1.

    2 See General Introd. p. xxxi.

    3 Like the Encomium on Helen See General Introd. p. xxxi, and Burgess, Epideictic Literature.

    4 The term “sophist” is used loosely throughout the discourse, sometimes as the equivalent of wise man, but more often, as here, of a professional teacher of philosophy and oratory. See General Introd. p. xii, note a .

    5 See General Introd. p. xx, and note c .

    6 The “gold and ivory” statue of Athena which stood in the Parthenon.

    7 Zeuxis and Parrhasius sojourned in Athens about 400 B.C.

    8 Literally, painters of votive tablets set up in temples as thank-offerings for deliverance from sickness or from dangers on the sea. Cf. Tibullus 1.3.27-28: nunc, dea, nunc succurre mihi, nam posse mederi/picta docet templis multa tabella tuis.

    There are a total of 5 comments on and cross references to this page.

    Cross references from Herbert Weir Smyth, A Greek Grammar for Colleges:
    1137 [THE ARTICLE WITH PROPER NAMES]

    Cross references from Andrew Stewart, One Hundred Greek Sculptors: Their Careers and Extant Works:
    2, 2, 2 [Pheidias]

    Cross references from Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Oedipus Tyrannus:
    886: Pheidian ton to tês Athênas hedos ergasamenon

    Cross references from Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache (ed. Ildar Ibraguimov):
    462 [Weglassung des Artikels.]

    Cross references from Raphael Kühner, Bernhard Gerth, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache (ed. Ildar Ibraguimov):
    513 [Ou und mê bei Partizipien und Adjektiven.]

    Preferred URL for linking to this page: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Isoc.+15+1

    The Annenberg CPB/Project provided support for entering this text.

    This text is based on the following book(s):
    Isocrates. Isocrates with an English Translation in three volumes, by George Norlin, Ph.D., LL.D. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1980.
    OCLC: 17454675
    ISBN: 0674992318, 0674992520, 0674994116

    Buy a copy of this text (not necessarily the same edition) from Amazon.com: vol. 1; vol. 2; vol. 3

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