THE ROLE OF LYSIAS’ SPEECH IN PLATO'S PHAEDRUS

Abstract

This article argues that the attribution to Lysias of the erōtikos (230e6–234c5) in Plato's Phaedrus is more significant than has generally been acknowledged. The erōtikos is attributed to Lysias because he is a logographer, whose success is dependent on writing speeches for other people. A careful consideration of both the context and the content of the speech encourage us to consider its relevance to Socrates. By attributing an (underwhelming) attempt at Socratic rhetoric to Lysias, the Phaedrus frames his speech as an example of the potential pitfalls of putting words into Socrates’ mouth. As such, the speech has broader significance for our understanding of what it means to write Socratic logoi.