Lycurgus of Athens (Λυκοῦργος ὁ Ἀθηναῖος) was an Athenian statesman and orator of the 4th century BCE. Born around 390 BCE into the priestly Eteoboutad family, he studied under Plato and Isocrates. After Athens’s defeat at Chaeronea in 338 BCE, he managed the city’s finances for twelve years, restoring economic stability and funding major public works while vigorously defending traditional Athenian values. He died around 324 BCE [1][2].

As one of the Ten Attic Orators, Lycurgus was credited with fifteen speeches, but only Against Leocrates (Κατὰ Λεωκράτους) survives complete. All others, such as On the Priestess and Against Aristogeiton, are lost and known only by title or fragment [1][2].

Lycurgus was central to Athens’s post-Chaeronea recovery. His severe, patriotic oratory and prudent fiscal administration funded the Panathenaic Stadium, the Theater of Dionysus, and fleet expansion. His surviving speech provides valuable insights into Athenian law, civic duty, and rhetorical use of historical exempla. Honored with a bronze statue in 307/6 BCE, his posthumous reputation remained high [1][2].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lycurgus-of-Athens 2. Perseus Digital Library, Lycurgus entry: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0104:entry=lycurgus-athens-bio-1