French Literature Reviews - 2026

Y. Lee Too, A Commentary on Isocrates' Antidosis
Other Literary Studies

Yun Lee Too, A Commentary on Isocrates' Antidosis

Oxford University Press

Price: £50.00 (Hardback)

ISBN-13: 978-0-19-923807-1

264 pages, 216x138 mm

Publisher's Description

How does one construct a role for oneself in the fourth-century democratic city? This commentary on Isocrates' Antidosis, which includes a full translation as well as an extensive introduction, demonstrates that a rhetorician may do so by assuming roles that subvert many of the conventions invoked by the genre: a non-speaker in a rhetorical community, a rhetorician in a world where rhetorical performativity has derogatory connotations, and a philosopher following the trial of Socrates. Moreover, Yun Lee Too demonstrates how the narrative of 'self' in the Antidosis is to be understood as a sophisticated amalgam of literary, rhetorical, philosophical, and legal discourses.

Contents

Introduction

Translation

Commentary

Authors, editors, and contributors

Yun Lee Too, independent scholar, formerly Professor in the Department of Classics, Columbia University

Isocrates remains a central figure in the study of Athenian rhetoric and education, known for his influence on the development of prose style and political thought. The Antidosis is a complex work that sits at the intersection of autobiographical narrative and rhetorical defense, reflecting the tensions of fourth-century BCE Athenian life. By positioning himself as both a philosopher and a rhetorician, Isocrates engages with the intellectual climate of his time, particularly the legacy of the Socratic trial. Readers interested in the evolution of classical rhetoric and the construction of identity in antiquity may find this analysis relevant.

This commentary on the Antidosis examines how the work functions as a multifaceted document, blending legal, philosophical, and literary traditions to define the author's public persona. It explores how Isocrates negotiates his status within a community that often viewed professional rhetoricians with skepticism. This approach situates the Antidosis within the broader tradition of self-representation in classical literature, where the authorial voice is curated to navigate political and social constraints, creating a narrative of the self.