LYSIAS, lish'i-as (Lat.. from Gk. Avatar) (e.450-380 n.c.). The third in point of time of the ten Attic orators of the Canon Alexandrinus (q.v.). Ilis father was Cephalus. a wealthy Syra eusan, who was induced by Pericles to move to Athens. where he became a resident alien, the friend of Socrates and other eminent Athenians. The scene of Plato's Republic is laid at his house. At the age of fifteen Lysias with his brother Polemarehns went to the Athenian colony of Thurii in Southern Italy. There he studied rhet oric, probably under Tisias. In B.C. 412, when the failure of the Sicilian expedition of the Athenians had given the anti-Athenian party su premacy iu Thurii, Lysias returned to Athens, where with his brother he earried on a large shield manufacturing business. During the dis tracted period under the rule of the Thirty Dt.c. 404.403; see THIRTY TYRANTS ) , the brothers' large possessions excited the rapacity of the gov erning body; their house was attacked by armed men while Lysias was entertaining some friends, their property seized, and Polemarchns put to death; Lysias, however, by bribing the soldiers who had him in ward, escaped to 3legara. From Megara he assisted Thrasylmlus in freeing Athens of the tyrants, and came back in 403 when the democrats gained the upper hand.
On his return he prosecuted Eratosthenes, one of the Thirty, aA his brother's murderer, in a speech still extant, but the result of the prosecu tion is unknown. Lysias now entered on the business of logographer, a writer of speeches for others to deliver, in which lie attained great success. Of the 34 (35) extant orations only the oration Against Erotosthencs was spoken by Lysias himself. In all the rest there is an ex
traordinary adaptation to the peculiar conditions and characters of the speakers. the value of which before a jury Lysias was the first logographer to appreciate. His native 'plain style,' which the ancients praised, was no doubt fostered by the simple character of his clients. The chief excel lences noted by Dionysius are his purity in dic tion. brevity, clearness, simplicity, vividness, pro priety, and charm. Everywhere his consummate art conceals the art with which the speeches were composed. In antiquity 425 speeches were attrib uted to him ; the rhetoricians of Aug,ustus's day regarded 233 of these genuine; we know' the titles of but 172. Only 31 have been preserved entire; of three more, large fragments are quoted by Dionysius; and there is found in Plato's Pluedrus a speech on "Love." There are besides only a few scanty fragments. Lysias's literary activity ended with B.C. 3S0, and he probably died soon after. The best modern editions are by Bekker (Berlin, 1823) ; Baiter and Sauppe (Zurich, 1839-43) ; Scheibe (Leipzig, 1835) ; Cobet. (Amsterdam, 1863) ; Thalheim (Leipzig, 1901). Selected orations, with English notes by Stevens (Chi eago. 1876) ; Schuckburgh (4th ed.London, 1890) ; Bristol (Boston, 1892) ; Morgan (Boston, 1895) ; Wait (New York, 1898). There is a poor Eng lish translation by Gillies. Consult: Blass, Attische Beredsamkcit, vol. i.. pp. 338-644 (Leip zig, 1887) and Jebb, Attic Orators, vol. i., pp. 142-312 (1880).