Hypereides was an Athenian orator and politician of the 4th century BCE, active during the Classical period. He was a contemporary and political ally of the famous speaker Demosthenes. Born into a wealthy family, he was able to study under the philosopher Plato and the rhetorician Isocrates. His career was defined by his strong opposition to the growing power of Macedon under King Philip II and his son Alexander the Great. After Alexander's death, Hypereides helped lead Athens into the Lamian War, a failed revolt against Macedonian rule. Following the war's collapse, he was captured and executed in 322 BCE.

He was a prolific writer of speeches for legal and political cases. Although ancient scholars listed dozens of his works, they were considered lost for centuries until major discoveries of papyrus scrolls in the 1800s and 1900s recovered parts of several orations. These surviving fragments include speeches like Against Athenogenes, For Euxenippus, and a Funeral Oration for those who died in the Lamian War.

Hypereides is counted among the ten canonical Attic orators. According to modern scholars, his significance lies in his distinctive style, which blended logical argument with a reputation for wit and a more natural, charming manner of persuasion than some of his peers. His rediscovered works provide direct, valuable evidence for understanding Athenian law, politics, and the practice of public speaking at the end of the Classical age.