Theodectes of Phaselis (Θεοδέκτης ὁ Φασήλιτος) was a 4th-century BCE Greek rhetorician and tragic poet from Phaselis in Lycia. He studied under Isocrates, Plato, and Aristotle in Athens and was a contemporary of Aristotle and Alexander the Great. Ancient sources record his success, noting seven or eight victories in dramatic competitions, and his skill as an orator who wrote a rhetorical handbook [1]. An anecdote in the Suda claims he died at 41 after choking on a grape stone, though this is dubious [2].

Though surviving only in fragments, Theodectes was a prolific author credited with approximately 50 tragedies. Known titles include Alcmaeon, Helen, Lynceus, Oedipus, and Philoctetes [1][2]. His tragedy Mausolus was likely composed for the Carian dynast Mausolus, builder of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, suggesting a connection to his court [1][2]. He also wrote an encomium to Heracles [2].

Theodectes is significant for bridging rhetoric and tragedy in the 4th century BCE. His training under both Isocrates and Aristotle placed him at a key intellectual intersection. Aristotle frequently cites his plays in the Poetics and Rhetoric as examples of tragic technique and rhetorical argument, cementing his importance as a case study in applying rhetorical theory to tragic practice [1][2].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Theodectes 2. Perseus Digital Library, Suda, entry Theta 138: https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0054:entry=qeo/dekths