Keeping to the Point in Athenian Forensic Oratory: Law, Character and Rhetoric

This volume offers a groundbreaking analysis of legal arguments in a substantial selection of forensic speeches of the Attic Orators. It challenges the notion that Athenian courts adopted a loose standard of relevance and litigants often relied on irrelevant or extra-legal rhetoric. By integrating modern legal theory, particularly Neil MacCormick’s insights on normative and narrative coherence, the contributors demonstrate how law and legal procedures shaped the sophisticated rhetoric of Athenian litigants in court. This volume shows that legal arguments and rhetoric were deeply intertwined, with relevance grounded in the legal charges and context. Emotional appeals and complex narrative were closely tied to support the legal case. By systematically examining a wide range of speeches, the book explores critical aspects of Athenian society, including constitutional review, public accountability, honour, violence, family law, and economy. Bringing together an international team of scholars, this volume presents a compelling, evidence-based argument for the enduring influence of the Rule of Law in Athenian forensic oratory, offering fresh perspectives on the relationship between law, rhetoric, and democracy in Classical Athens.