born 0441; 445
died 0441; 380 BC
Greek orator.
He was a metic (resident foreigner) in Athens, and as such he was forbidden to speak as a Roman citizen; all his speeches were delivered by others. He and his brother were seized by the ruling oligarchy in 404 as disaffected aliens; his brother was killed but Lysias escaped. He ranks with Antiphon as a writer of clear, simple prose of great effectiveness, and his style became one model for Attic Greek prose. Many of his writings survive.