Definire la retorica: il „Dell’arte oratoria" di Sperone Speroni

Abstract

This contribution focuses on Sperone Speroni’s text Dell’arte oratoria (On the Oratory Art), one of his short treatises dedicated to rhetoric. The main aim is to define the different aspects of the text’s style and content that make it a relevant source for exploring Speroni’s rhetorical thought. Combining classical sources with his original perspective, Speroni attempts to support rhetorical art by using rhetorical means. This text was not meant to be read by the public and it reveals an erratic argumentation looking for efficacious definitions of oratory to defend it from its detractors.