Apollodoros the Son of Pasion [Hardcover]

This book is a study of an influential fourth-century B.C. Athenian politician, Apollodoros the son of Pasion. It provides the first full-length treatment if his career and of the seven law-court speeches which he delivered, which have come down to us wrongly attributed to the famous orator Demosthenes. These speeches, that are our main source of information about Apollodoros, not only tell us about his political career but also illuminate Athenian banking and social attitudes, since his father had risen from servile origins to become a very wealthy banker and, ultimately, an Athenian citizen. Trevett also considers the authenticity, style, and rhetorical technique of the speeches, and argues conclusively that they were all written by the same author, who was probably Apollodoros himself. At the same time, he shows that the speeches were composed with considerably more skill than has generally been recognized.

Occasionally a book appears that does fill the proverbial `gap in the scholarly literature.' Trevett's study...is such a work....An important contribution to Greek literary and social history that belongs in the library of all universities and colleges. --Choice

The scholarship and technical analyses have admirable detail; professional classicists, whether of literary or historical bent, will find much of value. --Religious Studies Review

The `aim of the Oxford Classical Monographs series is to publish outstanding theses,' and in T's case the aim has been splendidly achieved. The merits of this compact volume are considerable: even more importantly, it demonstrates the potential rewards of assaying a doctoral topic of some breadth, and of vindicating that choice by careful and discerning scholarship....T has here produced a volume from which all students of fourth-century Athens will benefit. --Bryn Mawr Classical Review