ANTIPHON  , of Rhamnus in

Attica, the earliest of the " ten " Attic orators, was born in 480 B.C . He took an active part in political affairs at Athens, and, as a zealous supporter; of the oligarchical party, was largely responsible for the establishment of the Four Hundred in 411 (see THERAMENES) ; on the restoration of the democracy he was accused of treason and condemned to death . Thucydides (viii . 68) expresses a very high opinion of him . Antiphon may be regarded as the founder of political oratory, but he never addressed the people himself except on the occasion of his trial . Fragments of his speech then delivered in defence of his policy (called Hepi µergo-rao-ecos) have been edited by J . Nicole (1907) from an Egyptian papyrus . His chief business was that of a professional speech-writer (Xoyoypacbos), for those who felt incompetent to conduct their own cases—as all disputants were obliged to do—without expert assistance . Fifteen of Antiphon's speeches are extant: twelve are mere school exercises on fictitious cases, divided into tetralogies, each consisting of two speeches for prosecution and defence—accusation, defence, reply, counter-reply; three refer to actual legal processes . All deal with cases of homicide (4ovtKai Siicat) . Antiphon is also said to have composed a Tixv17 or art of Rhetoric . Edition, with commentary, by Maetzner (1838) ; text by Blass (1881); Jebb, Attic Orators; Plutarch, Vitae X .

Oratorum;

Philostratus, Vit . Sophistarum, i . 15; van Cleef, Index Antiphonteus, Ithaca, N . Y . (1895) ; see also RHETORIC .