ANTIPHON ( Gk. 'Am-tqW.a.) (430-411 B.C. ) . The earliest of the Ten Attic Orators in the Alexandrian Canon. He was the son of Sophilus the Sophist, and was born at Ilhanmus, in Attica. Although Antiphon was undoubtedly influenced by the teachings of Go•gias, he never developed so rhetorical a style as some of the later orators. He labored to make his arg,u inputs clear, solid, and convincing, so that it might be impossible for the judges who listened to The speeches he wrote to refuse their assent to his propositions. His success was unmistak able. Although he never made a puhlic appear ance as a pleader in the courts of justice, but contented himself with writing speeches for oth ers to deliver, he acquired great influence, which he did not fail to exert for the furtherance of his political principles. To him must be attributed the overthrow of the Athenian democracy (411 me.) and the establishment of the oligarchical government of the Four Hundred ; for although Pisander figured prominently before the people in this revolution, the whole affair, according to Thucydides. was secretly planned by Antiphon.
The oligarchical government fell within the year, and Antiphon was brought to trial for treason for having attempted to negotiate peace with Sparta. Thucydides affirms that an abler de fense was never made by any man in a similar position. He was condemned to death, his prop erty was confiscated, his house razed to the ground, his remains forbidden interment in At tica, and his children forever declared incapable of enjoying civic privileges. Of the sixty ora tions which the ancients possessed, only fifteen have come down to us. Three of these are writ ten for others, and are admired for their clear ness, purity, and vigor of expression; the re maining twelve appear to have been intended as specimens of school rhetoric for his pupils. Ed ited by Blass (Leipzig, 1SS1). Consult also: Blass, A ttische Thredsunthrit (Leipzig, 1887-9S) ; and .Tebb, Attic Oroto-rs (London, 1876-80).