Menander the Rhetorician of Laodicea (Μένανδρος ὁ Λαοδικεύς Ῥήτωρ) was a Greek rhetorician of the late third or early fourth century CE [1][2]. He is distinguished from other historical figures named Menander, such as the comic playwright. His origin is specified as Laodicea, though the precise city remains unclear [1].

He is the attributed author of two surviving instructional treatises on epideictic (demonstrative) oratory: the Division of Epideictic Speeches (Διαίρεσις τῶν ἐπιδεικτικῶν) and On Epidictic Speeches (Περὶ ἐπιδεικτικῶν) [1][2]. These works provide detailed guidance for composing ceremonial speeches for various occasions, including imperial panegyrics, addresses to cities, and speeches for weddings or funerals [1].

Menander’s significance lies in his systematization of epideictic rhetoric from the Second Sophistic. His treatises are crucial historical sources for understanding the highly formalized conventions of ceremonial oratory in the Roman Imperial era, serving as a link between earlier theorists and the later Byzantine rhetorical tradition [1][2].

Sources 1. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-4062 2. Perseus Digital Library, Catalogus Philologorum Classicorum: https://catalogus.pcc.uni-koeln.de/author/326