In this Book
- Demosthenes' "On the Crown": Rhetorical Perspectives
- Book
- 2016
- Published by: Southern Illinois University Press
- Series: Landmarks in Rhetoric and Public Address
summary
Demosthenes’ speech On the Crown (330 B.C.E.), in which the master orator spectacularly defended his public career, has long been recognized as a masterpiece. The speech has been in continuous circulation from Demosthenes’ lifetime to the present day, and multiple generations have acclaimed it as the greatest speech ever written. In addition to a clear and accessible translation, Demosthenes’“On the Crown”:Rhetorical Perspectives includes eight essays that provide a thorough analysis—based on Aristotelian principles—of Demosthenes’ superb rhetoric.
The volume includes biographical and historical background on Demosthenes and his political situation; a structural analysis of On the Crown; and an abstract of Aeschines’ speech Against Ctesiphon to which Demosthenes was responding. Four essays by contributors analyze Demosthenes’ speech using key elements of rhetoric defined by Aristotle: ēthos, the speaker’s character or authority; pathos, or emotional appeals; logos, or logical appeals; and lexis, a speaker’s style. An introduction and an epilogue by Murphy frame the speech and the rhetorical analysis of it.
By bringing together contextual material about Demosthenes and his speech with a translation and astute rhetorical analyses, Demosthenes’“On the Crown”:Rhetorical Perspectives highlights the oratorical artistry of Demosthenes and provides scholars and students with fresh insights into a landmark speech.
The volume includes biographical and historical background on Demosthenes and his political situation; a structural analysis of On the Crown; and an abstract of Aeschines’ speech Against Ctesiphon to which Demosthenes was responding. Four essays by contributors analyze Demosthenes’ speech using key elements of rhetoric defined by Aristotle: ēthos, the speaker’s character or authority; pathos, or emotional appeals; logos, or logical appeals; and lexis, a speaker’s style. An introduction and an epilogue by Murphy frame the speech and the rhetorical analysis of it.
By bringing together contextual material about Demosthenes and his speech with a translation and astute rhetorical analyses, Demosthenes’“On the Crown”:Rhetorical Perspectives highlights the oratorical artistry of Demosthenes and provides scholars and students with fresh insights into a landmark speech.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Title Page, Copyright
- pp. i-iv
- Introduction
- pp. 1-6
- Part One: Demosthenes and His Greatest Speech
- 1. Demosthenes and His Times
- pp. 9-35
- Part Two: Rhetorical Evaluations
- 5. Ēthos in "On the Crown"
- pp. 114-129
- 7. On the Deinos Logos of On the Crown
- pp. 148-173
- 8. Demosthenes’ Style: Lexis in On the Crown
- pp. 174-204
- Select Bibliography
- pp. 209-222
- Contributors
- pp. 223-224
Additional Information
ISBN
9780809335114
Related ISBN(s)
9780809335107
MARC Record
OCLC
964657407
Pages
241
Launched on MUSE
2016-12-06
Language
English
Open Access
No
Copyright
2016