Homopatric Half-Brothers in Litigation: The Rhetoric of Fraternal Bonds in Antiphon 1 and Demosthenes 39

Abstract

In classical Athens, although society regarded fraternal friendship and cooperation as moral ideals, forensic speeches often reveal cases of intense confrontation. Antiphon’s Speech 1 (Against the Stepmother for Poisoning) and Demosthenes’ Speech 39 (Against Boeotus Concerning the Name) are two representative cases of litigation between paternal half-brothers and highlight the way in which fraternal relations could break down due to personal or property conflicts. This article examines the rhetorical use of the fraternal bond in these speeches. In Antiphon’s speech, the speaker accuses his stepmother of murdering his father and clashes with his half-brother, who defends his own mother. The plaintiff presents himself as morally superior, a defender of his father’s honour, while portraying his brother as a traitor to the family. In contrast, in Demosthenes’ speech, the conflict between Mantitheus and Boeotus concerns the right to use the name “Mantitheus”. Mantitheus refuses to recognize Boeotus as his brother and attempts to undermine his legitimacy by portraying him as a foreigner who, through deceit, has intruded into the paternal household. In both cases, rhetorical strategy aims at the deconstruction of the fraternal bond, in order to strengthen the speaker’s moral and legal position.