Focusing on the first and last years of Libanius' Antiochene career (AD 354-388), this volume illustrates his great range of his rhetorical skills, while at the same time illuminating the intrigues of city politics and university life. The shorter speeches give unparalleled insights into problems of sharply contemporary relevance - teachers' pay, student indiscipline and rioting, threats from the rival Latin curriculum, accusations of professional incompetence, as well as everyday details of academic life.