The Rhetoric of Identity in Isocrates provides an interpretation of an important, but largely neglected and disregarded, fourth-century Athenian author to show how he uses writing to provide a model of political engagement that is distinct from his own contemporaries' (especially Plato's) and from our own notions of political involvement. It demonstrates that ancient rhetorical discourse raises issues of contemporary relevance, especially regarding the status of the written word and current debates on canon and curriculum in education.