Demosthenes' on the Crown: Rhetorical Perspectives (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780809335107)

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.

Author: James J. Murphy
ISBN-10: 0809335107
ISBN-13: 9780809335107
Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press
Language: English
Published: 10/04/2016
Pages: 242
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.70d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 04/01/2017