Read complete books and articles on: Greek and Roman Rhetoric

Oratory - the art of swaying an audience by eloquent speech. In ancient Greece and Rome oratory was included under the term rhetoric, which meant the art of composing as well as delivering a speech. Oratory first appeared in the law courts of Athens and soon became important in all areas of life. It was taught by the Sophists. The Ten Attic Orators (listed by Alexandrine critics) were Antiphon, Andocides, Lysias, Isocrates, Isaeus, Aeschines, Demosthenes, Lycurgus, Hyperides, and Dinarchus. Classic Rome's great orators were Cato the Elder, Mark Antony, and Cicero.

The theory of rhetoric was discussed by Aristotle and Quintilian; and three main classes of oratory were later designated by classical rhetoricians: (a) deliberative—to persuade an audience (such as a legislature) to approve or disapprove a matter of public policy; (b) forensic—to achieve (as in a trial) condemnation or approval for a person's actions; (c) epideictic—"display rhetoric" used on ceremonial occasions. Rhetoric was included in the medieval liberal arts curriculum. In subsequent centuries oratory was utilized in three main areas of public life—politics, religion, and law. During the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation, oratory was generally confined to the church, which produced such soul-searing orators as Savanorola, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox.

With the development of parliaments in the 18th cent., great political orators appeared—Charles James Fox, Edmund Burke, Henry Gratten, and Daniel O'Connell in England and Ireland; Patrick Henry and James Otis in the United States; and Danton and Mirabeau in France. Because these politicians usually spoke to men of their own class and education, their orations were often complex and erudite, abounding in classical allusions. In the 19th cent., the rise of Methodism and evangelical religions produced great preachers like John Wesley and George Whitefield who addressed a wide audience of diverse classes of people. Their sermons, replete with biblical allusions and appeals to the emotions, profoundly influenced the oratorical style of many politicians. Famous 19th cent. orators included Disraeli and John Bright in England, Charles Stewart Parnell in Ireland, Lamartine in France, Ferdinand Lasalle in Germany, Louis Kossuth in Hungary, and Joseph Mazzini in Italy. Great American orators included Abraham Lincoln, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, Daniel Webster, Stephen Douglas, and Henry Ward Beecher.

In the 20th cent., orators made frequent use of the "catch phrase" (e.g., William Jennings Bryan's "cross of gold" speech). Noted orators in the first half of the 20th cent. were Bryan, Eugene Debs, Susan B. Anthony, and Woodrow Wilson in the United States, Lenin and Trotsky in Russia, and David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill in England. The bombastic oratorical style of Hitler and Mussolini, inevitably associated with their discredited political ideologies, brought grandiloquent oratory into disrepute. The advent of radio forced oratory to become more intimate and conversational, as in the "fireside chats" of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Television forced additional demands on the orator (usually now called the public speaker), who not only had to sound good but also had to look good. Still, most politicians, notably Adlai E. Stevenson and John F. Kennedy, succeeded in utilizing the ubiquitous television camera to heighten the impact of their speeches. The particular effectiveness of great oratory was movingly demonstrated in 1963 when the civil-rights leader Martin Luther King delivered his "I have a dream" speech to an audience of 200,000 people in Washington, D.C., and to millions more listening to him on radio and watching him on television.

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16 of the Best Books and Articles on: Greek and Roman Rhetoric

as selected by Questia librarians

1.

Persuasion: Greek Rhetoric in Action » Read Now
by Ian Worthington. 278 pgs.

Collections: Entire Library

Greek rhetoric, in its diverse forms and impact on its contemporary context, is central to an understanding of ancient culture. The influence and exploitation of rhetoric in ancient times and modern reactions to it are the focus of this book. In recent years there has been a renaissance in the study...
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Greek rhetoric, in its diverse forms and impact on its contemporary context, is central to an understanding of ancient culture. The influence and exploitation of rhetoric in ancient times and modern reactions to it are the focus of this book. In recent years there has been a renaissance in the study of Greek rhetoric and oratory, informed by modern political sociology and discourse analysis. This book, bringing together the work of leading scholars in the field, examines the relation of ancient oratory and rhetoric to a variety of historical contexts and literary genres at both the theoritical and practical levels, at the same time reflecting new trends and ideas now at work
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2.

On Issues: Strategies of Argument in Later Greek Rhetoric » Read Now
by Malcolm Heath, Hermogenes. 280 pgs.

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This is the only modern English translation with commentary in print of this important treatise by Hermogenes of Tarsus (AD C.160-225). The book makes sophisticated theories of argument developed by Greek teachers of rhetoric in the second century AD accessible both to specialist and non-specialist readers.
3.

Rereading the Sophists: Classical Rhetoric Refigured » Read Now
by Susan C. Jarratt. 155 pgs.

Collections: Philosophy, Entire Library

...and index. 1. Rhetoric, Ancient. 2. Sophists Greek philosophy 3...me in several Greek classes. Graduate...students in classical rhetoric have helped me...political world of...
4.

The Contemporary Reception of Classical Rhetoric: Appropriations of Ancient Discourse » Read Now
by Kathleen E. Welch. 186 pgs.

Collections: Entire Library

...with ancient Greek and Roman rhetoric, as expounded...in classical rhetoric remain unconnected to Greek and/or Roman cultures, speech...the history of rhetoric and of...
5.

Aristotle on Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse » Read Now
by Aristotle, George E. Kennedy. 336 pgs.

Collections: Philosophy, Entire Library

Theories of rhetoric initially emerged in Greece in the fifth century B.C. with the realization that in a democracy all citizens had a right and duty to participate in their own government. Aristotle's Rhetoric was the first, systematic study of civic discourse. But this classic text has not...
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Theories of rhetoric initially emerged in Greece in the fifth century B.C. with the realization that in a democracy all citizens had a right and duty to participate in their own government. Aristotle's Rhetoric was the first, systematic study of civic discourse. But this classic text has not benefited from a new translation in sixty years. Now, George A. Kennedy, a leading scholar of classics and communications, has provided an up-to-date, lucid translation which will make the Rhetoric as well known--and as accessible--as Aristotle's Poetics. Kennedy's version of On Rhetoric takes into account all of the latest scholarship on Aristotle, using the most reliable texts available, and preserving Aristotle's distinctive style. He eliminates euphemistic and sexist language (which Aristotle did not use), and maintains contradictions which exist in the hand-written, medieval manuscripts (which provide our only access to Aristotle's work). Kennedy's translation also provides the most substantial commentary, and the most extensive notes, of any English version. In his introduction, we learn of the status of rhetoric before Aristotle's treatise (including the work of Socrates, Plato, and Gorgias), receive an account of his life (he tutored the young Macedonian who later became Alexander the Great), and, of course, find a detailed, chapter by chapter account of the text. Kennedy also includes a glossary of Greek rhetorical vocabulary, supplementary texts (by Gorgias, Cicero, and Aristotle himself), and essays on the Rhetoric's composition and on the history of the text after Aristotle. Aristotle's pioneering study of rhetoric remains useful today, whether for composition studies, public speaking, or literary criticism. The proper use of rhetoric is an essential component of the democratic process, and this readable translation will make the art of persuasion available to new generations of citizens and scholars.
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6.

Rereading Aristotle's Rhetoric » Read Now
by Alan G. Gross, Arthur E. Walzer. 246 pgs.

Collections: Philosophy, Entire Library

In this collection edited by Alan G. Gross and Arthur E. Walzer, scholars in communication, rhetoric and composition, and philosophy seek to "reread" Aristotle's Rhetoric from a purely rhetorical perspective. So important do these contributors find the Rhetoric, in fact, that a core tenet in this...
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In this collection edited by Alan G. Gross and Arthur E. Walzer, scholars in communication, rhetoric and composition, and philosophy seek to "reread" Aristotle's Rhetoric from a purely rhetorical perspective. So important do these contributors find the Rhetoric, in fact, that a core tenet in this book is that "all subsequent rhetorical theory is but a series of responses to issues raised by the central work".
Gross and Walzer do not seek to renew the ancient quarrel between philosophy and rhetoric; rather, they call for a healthy division of labor, demanding that "purely rhetorical issues are genuine and must be explored". For that purpose all three books of the Rhetoric are essential.
The essayists reflect on questions basic to rhetoric as a humanistic discipline. Some explore the ways in which the Rhetoric explicates the nature of the art of rhetoric, noting that on this issue, the tensions within the Rhetoric often provide a direct passageway into our own conflicts.
Specifically, CarolynR. Miller's exploration of topical invention within the Aristotelian tradition addresses the question: What does it mean to say that rhetoric is generative or epistemic as distinguished from instrumental or managerial? Alan G. Gross, examining the meaning of Techne, asks whether we should think of rhetoric as the basis for an art of civic deliberation. Arthur E. Walzer and Barbara Warnick discuss what it means to say that rhetoric is contextualized, culturally situated art in contrast with arts such as logic and dialectic that have more universal claims.
Jeffrey Walker reflects on the contradictions between Aristotle's account of the passions in the Rhetoric and accounts found elsewhere inAristotle's work. Similarly, Thomas B. Farrell seeks to understand what "validity" might mean in a rhetorical context. Jeanne Fahnestock examines the influences of the Rhetoric's treatment of style on subsequent understandings
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7.

The Agon in Euripides » Read Now
by Michael Lloyd. 152 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

...This book is a study of the agon, or formal debate, in Euripides' tragedies. In these scenes, two characters confront each other, often before an arbitrator or judge, and...
8.

Cicero's Philippics and Their Demosthenic Model: The Rhetoric of Crisis » Read Now
by Cecil W. Wooten. 204 pgs.

Collections: Entire Library
9.

The Literate Mode of Cicero's Legal Rhetoric » Read Now
by Richard Leo Enos. 130 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

...features of rhetorical instruction...argument. His Greek education...different than Roman declamation...mind in legal rhetoric we must also...the first Roman to...
10.

Ancient Rhetoric and Poetic: Interpreted from Representative Works (1924) » Read Now
by Charles Sears Baldwin. 261 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

...to poetic. The Greek term...abruptness Aristotles Rhetoric stops. It can...eminent orator of Roman civilization...For study of rhetorical terms see Causeret...Cicerowrites...
11.

Comparative Rhetoric: An Historical and Cross-Cultural Introduction (Chap. 9 "Rhetoric in Greek and Rome") » Read Now
by George A. Kennedy. 244 pgs.

Collections: Entire Library

This is the first book to offer a cross-cultural overview of rhetoric as a universal feature of expression and communication. The author explores analogies to human rhetoric in animal communication, rhetorical factors in the origin of human speech, and rhetorical conventions in traditionally oral...
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This is the first book to offer a cross-cultural overview of rhetoric as a universal feature of expression and communication. The author explores analogies to human rhetoric in animal communication, rhetorical factors in the origin of human speech, and rhetorical conventions in traditionally oral societies around the world. The second part of the book discusses rhetoric as understood and practised in early literate cultures, seeking to identify what is unique or unusual in the western tradition.
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12.

Greek Rhetoric and Literary Criticism (1928) » Read Now
by W. Rhys Roberts. 164 pgs.

Collections: Literature, Entire Library

...distrust of Greek rhetoric, or saw in...memorably by a Roman orator and...clear, the Roman teacher of...speech ,-- rhetorice est vis...formation of the Greek word;...
13.

Ethics and Rhetoric: Classical Essays for Donald Russell on His Seventy-Fifth Birthday » Read Now
by Doreen Innes, Harry Hine, Christopher Pelling. 384 pgs.

Collections: Philosophy, Literature, Entire Library

This is a collection of new essays on the theme of ethics and rhetoric in classical literature by an extremely prestigious array of scholars from the UK, US, and Europe. Writing in honor of Professor Donald Russell, former Professor of Classical Literature at Oxford, the contributors look at issues...
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This is a collection of new essays on the theme of ethics and rhetoric in classical literature by an extremely prestigious array of scholars from the UK, US, and Europe. Writing in honor of Professor Donald Russell, former Professor of Classical Literature at Oxford, the contributors look at issues of ethics and rhetoric within Latin literature, Greek imperial literature, and ancient literary criticism.
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14.

On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse » Read Now
by Aristotle, George A. Kennedy. 336 pgs.

Collections: Philosophy, Entire Library

Theories of rhetoric initially emerged in Greece in the fifth century B.C. with the realization that in a democracy all citizens had a right and duty to participate in their own government. Aristotle's Rhetoric was the first, systematic study of civic discourse. But this classic text has not...
Read More

Theories of rhetoric initially emerged in Greece in the fifth century B.C. with the realization that in a democracy all citizens had a right and duty to participate in their own government. Aristotle's Rhetoric was the first, systematic study of civic discourse. But this classic text has not benefited from a new translation in sixty years. Now, George A. Kennedy, a leading scholar of classics and communications, has provided an up-to-date, lucid translation which will make the Rhetoric as well known--and as accessible--as Aristotle's Poetics. Kennedy's version of On Rhetoric takes into account all of the latest scholarship on Aristotle, using the most reliable texts available, and preserving Aristotle's distinctive style. He eliminates euphemistic and sexist language (which Aristotle did not use), and maintains contradictions which exist in the hand-written, medieval manuscripts (which provide our only access to Aristotle's work). Kennedy's translation also provides the most substantial commentary, and the most extensive notes, of any English version. In his introduction, we learn of the status of rhetoric before Aristotle's treatise (including the work of Socrates, Plato, and Gorgias), receive an account of his life (he tutored the young Macedonian who later became Alexander the Great), and, of course, find a detailed, chapter by chapter account of the text. Kennedy also includes a glossary of Greek rhetorical vocabulary, supplementary texts (by Gorgias, Cicero, and Aristotle himself), and essays on the Rhetoric's composition and on the history of the text after Aristotle. Aristotle's pioneering study of rhetoric remains useful today, whether for composition studies, public speaking, or literary criticism. The proper use of rhetoric is an essential component of the democratic process, and this readable translation will make the art of persuasion available to new generations of citizens and scholars.
Show less
15.

A New History of Classical Rhetoric » Read Now
by George A. Kennedy. 301 pgs.

Collections: Entire Library
16.

The Rise of Rhetoric and Its Intersections with Contemporary Critical Thought (Chap. 2 "The Beginning of Rhetoric in Ancient Greece") » Read Now
by Omar Swartz. 194 pgs.

Collections: Entire Library

Against the backdrop of the Greek history of rhetorical theory, this book accentuates contemporary critical and Marxist theories of resistance, domination, knowledge, and systems of ideological control.