Sir Richard C. Jebb, The Attic Orators from Antiphon to Isaeos

---

---

1. Against Kinesias.

1. Against Kinesias.—Harpokration mentions two speeches of Lysias against Kinesias. One of these was probably identical with that speech of Lysias ‘For Phanios’ from which Athenaeos (XIII. p. 551 D) gives an extract. Phanios had been accused by Kinesias of proposing an unconstitutional measure (παρανόμων). The short extract in question is a personal attack upon Kinesias, whose impiety, and unfitness, therefore, to be the champion of the laws, are set forth. He is described as having belonged to a club the members of which styled themselves κακοδαιμονισταί—‘the Mephistophelians’ —in ridicule of societies who chose carefully euphemistic names¹. As the latter held their meetings on the first of the month, the seventh, or some such auspicious day, so this society made a point of meeting on one of the black days of the calendar (ἀποφράδες ἡμέραι). Kinesias is satirised by Aristophanes, partly for his dithyrambs, partly for his atheism²; and enjoyed the distinction of having a whole comedy written about him by Strattis³.

The next four fragments have all been preserved by Dionysios; who quotes the first of them in comparing Lysias with Demosthenes—the other three, in contrasting Lysias with Isaeos.