Ancient Rhetoric Research Articles

Roman épistolaire et ethos discursif : interprétation stylistique de "La voie de ma rue" de Sylvain Kean Zoh

Epistolary "Novel and Discursive Ethos": Stylistic interpretation of La voie de ma rue by Sylvain Kean Zoh The aim of this article is to conduct a stylistic analysis of the discursive ethos presented in the epistolary novel "La voie de ma rue" by Ivorian writer Sylvain Kean Zoh. Specifically, it examines how the main character constructs a nuanced ethos through a letter that raises awareness about street children. This analysis focuses on the interplay between fragility and resilience within the character's discourse. Here, ethos refers to the image crafted by a speaker to be perceived and understood through their speech. This study employs stylistics as a literary approach to scrutinise and interpret the linguistic resources exploited by the writer. The central question addressed is how linguistic and enunciative-discursive elements serve to shape ethos, inviting stylistic interpretation within the framework of the epistolary novel. The article argues that discursive ethos, a concept rooted in ancient rhetoric, is richly explored and invested in La voie de ma rue. The ethos portrayed in this work is distinctive, rooted in the protagonist's challenging life experiences as a self-described wanderer. The construction of ethos is notably influenced by the specific spatio-temporal contexts in which the subject evolves. For instance, the childhood locales evoke an ethos of fragility, whereas the character’s experiences in the capital city foster an ethos of resilience. In the familiar places of his childhood, the character articulates a discourse amidst an ethos of fragility. However, upon unexpectedly finding himself in the capital, he begins to develop a narrative of resilience within his discourse. This analysis posits that the stylistic examination of ethos in the epistolary novel is facilitated by various literary devices. Among these, deixis, rhetorical questions, axiological lexis, and affective modalisation are identified as particularly significant in shaping and conveying the ethos of the protagonist's narrative. The findings revealed that the stylistic analysis of discursive ethos in Sylvain Kean Zoh's "La voie de ma rue" reveals how the protagonist, through his wandering journey, shapes the notions of ethos regarding fragility and resilience. The text explores various linguistic and enunciative techniques such as personal deixis, rhetorical questions, negations, and evaluative terms, all playing crucial roles as textual dominants. The influence of spatio-temporal context on ethos construction is notable, transforming childhood places into foundations of fragility ethos, and the capital city into a catalyst for resilience ethos. Through life's trials, the narrator-character, an early orphan, evolves from initial fragility to affirmed resilience, shaped by his urban environment. "La voie de ma rue" thus demonstrates how the epistolary novel can be effectively studied through a stylistic analysis focused on discursive ethos.

Populist orality in 21st Century latin american socialism: an analysis of political discourse

This article offers a review and reflection on the new forms of orality and transmission of speeches in the context of 21st Century Socialism. It is highlighted that politicians use language daily through speeches in order to convince the recipient of their point of view, which has generated new forms of political organization in South American countries. The analysis focuses on the importance of political language in creating meanings and in the main political maneuvers, as well as the competition of political actors for the favors of the people in the civic scene. The relevance of discourse theory in understanding social relations and their transformation is highlighted, as well as the influence of populism on society's perception of media systems and their relationship with the "powers that be”. Additionally, the use of political marketing, its impact on the persuasion and manipulation of public opinion, and the influence of ancient rhetoric on contemporary politics are addressed. The technological-cultural struggle between alternative ways of perceiving and arguing reality is mentioned, highlighting the importance of understanding discourse in its textual, situational, and social practice dimensions. The article offers a comprehensive vision of populist orality in the context of 21st Century Socialism, highlighting its influence on politics, society, and the perception of reality in Latin America.

Судебная риторика Геренния (лат. Rhetoricon ad Herennium)

The article provides a brief summary of the rhetoric of Herennius. The rhetoric of Herennius, along with the works of Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian, is the pearl of ancient rhetoric and is the first judicial rhetoric that was used as a textbook in the Middle Ages. In the rhetoric of Herennius, an analysis of the types of speeches is given with exhaustive completeness (a demonstrative speech is devoted to the praise or censure of a famous person, a deliberative speech consists of discussing political issues and is aimed at choosing a particular decision, a judicial speech is based on a legal dispute); The skills of invention (inventio), composition (dispositio), style (elocutio), memorization (memoria) and performance (pronuntiactio and methods of their application) are analyzed in detail. It is concluded that creative achievements of this kind (like the rhetoric of Herennius) appear once or twice every millennium, but still they exist and it is they that motivate modern researchers in the field of judicial rhetoric to deeply comprehend their depths and move on.

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF PRAGMATICS: LANGUAGE IN CONTEXT

This article delves into the realm of pragmatics, a branch of linguistics focused on the relationship between language and context, and its significance in literary analysis through speech act theory. It outlines the foundational aspects of pragmatics, drawing on the contributions of scholars such as E.S. Aznaurova and J.K. Adams, who stress the role of context and communicative conditions in language interpretation. The historical origins of pragmatic study are traced back to ancient rhetoric, highlightingearly considerations of effective communication. Central to the discussion is speech act theory, introduced by J.L. Austin and expanded by John Searle, which differentiates between locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts in language. This theoretical framework is applied to literature, illustrating how speech acts within narratives extend beyond conveying information to actively shaping the story and influencing reader engagement. The article argues for the importance of pragmatics in providinga richer comprehension of literary texts, positioning language as a dynamic force in the construction of meaning and social interaction within narratives.

Marc Angenot: Rhetoric put to the test by the History of Ideas

In the interview he gave to Marianne Doury and Théophile Robineau, Marc Angenot discusses the place of rhetoric in his work. Recalling that ancient rhetoric was essentially based on the judicial model, he emphasizes its interest, but also its limitations, in exploring the social discourse he seeks to account for. He takes up its global perspective, mobilizing ethos, pathos and logos, the combined consideration of which is necessary for an understanding of ideas and the way in which they are carried and discussed in society. But he insists on the necessity of taking account of the fact that social discourse is embedded in a more or less long-term history, which is a prerequisite for its intelligibility. Taking social discourse as the object of research also requires us to reconsider the notion of situation as traditionally understood in rhetoric, and to redefine the way we look at the question of persuasion.

Ancient Heritage in the History of the Synod by Paisius Ligarides, Metropolitan of Gaza: Dedication to the Russian Tsar

The History of the Synod, compiled at the beginning of 1667 by Paisius Ligarides, Metropolitan of Gaza († 1678), shortly after the condemnation of Patriarch Nikon († 1681) at the Great Moscow Synod (1666), has long attracted the attention of researchers. However, it is studied without involving the Greek text and its complete translation into Russian. The arrangements made between the middle and second half of the nineteenth century differ from the original in their selectivity and inaccuracy. The anonymous Russian translation, short and unprofessional, resembles a free paraphrase; in comparison with the Russian version, the English one, belonging to the British theologian and historian W. Palmer († 1879), is closer to the original in content. However, it omits complex phrases and designations of culture-specific Russian elements and contains the translator’s comments. The stumbling block for interpreters was Ligarides’ appeal to Antiquity, a literary device that characterises the writer’s style in the Moscow period of his life (since 1662). Appeals to ancient authors and writings and techniques dating back to ancient rhetoric are scattered throughout the History of the Synod, but there are many of them in the dedication to the client, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. This article considers the problem of ancient heritage in the History of the Synod with reference to this introductory section. An analysis of the content of his three themes – the idealisation of Antiquity, the appointment of history and the dignity of the ruler – helps reveal the significance of ancient culture and mythology to the writer. The appeal of the Metropolitan of Gaza to the classical heritage correlates with didactic and educational tasks. Ligarides supported the messianic idea, popular with the Greek clergy, about the significance of Moscow – the heir of Rome and the ruler of Moscow as the liberator of Christian peoples from the Muslim yoke. Approving the Byzantine model in the issue of separation of powers, according to which the secular ruler was an absolute monarch, Ligarides oriented Alexei Mikhailovich to follow the example of the rulers of the ancient era, who had the virtues of the kingcreator, triumpher, and enlightener. Encouraging the Russian elite to become more familiar with the ancient heritage and thus contributing to the Europeanisation of court culture, the Metropolitan brought closer the situation called the antiquity of Russian culture by philologists.

Stylistics In Tafsir Al-Fakhr Al-Razi And And Its Impact On The Development Of Arabic Rhetoric/ الأسلوبيّة في تفسير الفخر الرّازيّ وأثرها في تطوّر البلاغة العربيّة

In the modern era, a science called contemporary stylistics appeared, which reached to describing texts and searching for what distinguishes them and the authors’ unique way of arranging them. And this science has its roots in our Arabic rhetorical heritage. Ancient rhetoricians such as Al-Fakhr Al-Razi preceded them with these stylistic studies. Therefore, this research sought, using the analytical descriptive method, to study the proof of the existence of such stylistic studies in Al-Fakhr Al-Razi through his Tafsir of Surat Al-Roum, revealing his great interest in explaining the types of Qur'anic styles, and their levels (morphological - synthetic - semantic), most of which were from Al-Razi's efforts. No one preceded it, but everyone who came after him benefited from it, Especially in semantics and correspondences between verses and surahs.

Clipping in Qubadi Jalilzada's poetry

Generally speaking, literature is a rethinking of reality and the imagination, especially poetry, with its unique form and qualities such as ancient rhetoric and modern deviation devices. Any literary work must have some form deviation, in addition to creativity and poetic imagery, whether it is a change in meaning or a change in the texts structure, to be engaging for the reader, Cilliping is a bussinesing and art, we want to show all of nice art in poity. A component of structural deviation is clipping. In his poetry, jalilzada employs a variety of this approach, including the clipping of letters, words, images, half-lines( a verse), and single lines. The manipulation of this literary technique is done for both economic and aesthetic purposes, and it helps the poet stand a part from his predecessors. It implies that this device is being used as a language game and a literal device of a text. As a result, its employment demands a high level of literal quality, and a randomly selected clipping without skillful application does not always serve a texts aesthetic value. Thus, the researcher aims Because clipping affects internal and eexternal rhymes and enhances the texts aesthetic beauty, it is used to distinguish between a poetical and an unpoetical text. Thus, as a skilled poet, jalilzada has used clipping in his poetry. to illuminate the literal and aesthetical types of clipping in jalizadas poetry.

Patria on stage: Cicero and the use of prosopopoeia

Ancient rhetoricians knew how important the use of theatrical techniques was to increase the persuasive effect of rhetorical arguments. Therefore, training with theatrical techniques of voice modulation, breathing exercises and physical exercises was strongly recommended. This way the orator became similar to the histrio, because both shared the actio. Cicero himself puts these theoretical precepts into practice, in his intense oratorical activity, by impersonating the characters he defends or accuses, reproducing their words, revealing their character, as if he were performing on stage. Quintilian recognizes Cicero's mastery in playing parts even in the first speech against Catiline in the Senate, when Cicero plays the part of an abstract entity, Patria, the Fatherland (Cic.Catil.1,18 and 1,27-29): the theatrical fiction of prosopopoeia supports Cicero’s rhetorical and political strategy. He has more effective influence on the audience and persuades them to act harshly against Catiline

Ancient Rhetoric and the Style of Paul’s Letters: A Reference Book by Timothy A. Brookins (review)

Ancient Rhetoric and the Style of Paul’s Letters: A Reference Book by Timothy A. Brookins (review)

Lukan Parables of Reckless Liberality by Amanda Brobst-Renaud

Reviewed by: Lukan Parables of Reckless Liberality by Amanda Brobst-Renaud C. Anthony Ziccardi amanda brobst-renaud, Lukan Parables of Reckless Liberality (New Testament Monographs 42; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix, 2021). Pp. ix + 172. £65/$85/€70. This monograph is a revision of Amanda Brobst-Renaud's doctoral dissertation of 2018. Written under the direction of Mikael Parsons, it is marked by great consonance with his work, especially his volume published in the same year and co-authored with Michael Wade Martin, Ancient Rhetoric and the New Testament: The Influence of Elementary Greek Composition (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2018). Foundational to B.-R.'s methodology, as also to Parsons's approach, are at least two principles. First, because the Gospels were written in the Greco-Roman world, their authors and auditors/readers were attentive to their rhetorical constitution, the elements of which they either imbibed unconsciously or learned intentionally through the curricula of the paideia that prepared students for eventual oratorical declamation by preliminary exercises. Second, the fables (mythoi), which consisted of "fictional stories imaging truth" and figured prominently among these progymnasmata, were sufficiently akin to Jesus's parables, so that the evangelists handled them compositionally and rhetorically in similar ways. Brobst-Renaud begins by comparing Greco-Roman fables with Luke's parabolic material, and she evinces similarities of form, content, subject, and utilization; often embedded in larger narratives, fables served rhetoric's subsidiary goal of moral formation by providing exempla or behavioral models to be avoided and/or emulated. Then, by attention to classical fables and rhetorical devices, B.-R. considers how Luke attempts to form his readers/auditors morally through his characterization of the personages in three lexically and semantically related parables unique to him in Luke 15–16. Treating 15:11–32, B.-R. marshals the parable's rhetorical traits to show that the younger son exhibits, according to cultural canons rooted in Aristotle, the vices of shamelessness and prodigality, but then also change; the elder son, who is both dutiful and reasonable, simultaneously shows miserliness and meanness; and the father displays prodigality toward both sons. Yet, in the wider context of Luke's own ethic of unjustifiable and unrequitable generosity (6:30–35; 10:25–37; 14:12–24) and the immediate context of Jesus's seeking the lost (15:1–2), the father's modeling becomes a summons to transcend the classical virtue of liberality and adopt evangelical, reckless liberality. By concluding the parable with the father's speech, Luke leaves open the invitation to the elder son and the auditors/readers to join him in the party by liberality. Next, B.-R. explains 16:1–13 against the backdrop of fables favorably presenting tricksters and other characters acting shrewdly to secure their interests. Accused justly of [End Page 355] profligacy, the steward bests his master. While still in the master's employ, the steward consumes more of the master's property by liberality to debtors with a view to securing his future. In contrast to the younger son's example of change, the consistently unrighteous steward corners his master into magnanimous debt reduction, so that the master commends his shrewd behavior, and Jesus holds up for emulation his reckless liberality with unrighteous mammon as faithfulness in little that merits much: eternal habitations. The shrewdness and liberality of the steward meet their negative counterpart in the rich man of 16:19–31, who fails to display such to Lazarus. Linking this parable to the prior two by highlighting their similarities, B.-R. also rehearses the variety of classical views on the rich and poor. Then, through attention to narrative details, such as Lazarus's place in Abraham's bosom and the rich man's permanent separation therefrom, B.-R. maintains that Luke characterizes Lazarus as righteous and the rich man as unrighteous for his failure to heed the Law and Prophets' summons to reckless liberality such as Jesus himself enacts. The rich man's irreversible fate contrasts with the elder brother's situation: the father's invitation to him to enter the party signals the open-ended nature of his destiny. In addition, Abraham's refusal to send Lazarus to the rich man's brothers...

“THE SERMON ΟΝ LAW AND GRACE”: A MODEL OF REFUTATIONAL - PROBATIVE ARGUMENTATION

The author of the paper analyzed the models of refutational and probative argumentation in an outstanding piece of Kyivan Rus’ literature of the 11th century — “The Sermon on Law and Grace” by metropolitan Hilarion of Kyiv. Although certain aspects of the work have already been properly analyzed, the formal rhetorical principles of polemical argumentation in “The Sermon on Law and Grace” remain little studied. The construction of the argument itself and compositional regularities of its structural organization still need due consideration. Throughout the entire reflection, moving from one topic to another, the author of “The Sermon…” maintains the same principle of literary presentation — dialectical oratio. This model is based on a special dialectical reasoning rooted in the principle of antinomies and originated in ancient judicial rhetoric. In “The Sermon on Law and Grace”, the dialectical oratio is built according to the ‘refutation + proof’ scheme. That is, the author initially refutes something and then proves something. Τhis rhetorical tendency is used throughout the work. Hilarion constantly tries to expose and devalue something characterized as outdated, related to Old Testament, Jewish or pagan, and glorify the new, evangelical, and Christian. However, denying one thing and affirming the other do not exhaust the author’s goal. Such dialectical unity of the negative and the affirmative in characterization of one object not only goes back to the traditions of ancient judicial rhetoric but also reflects the Eastern Christian theological tradition. Something similar can be seen in the treatises by Dionysius the Areopagite. In the works “On Mystical Theology”, “On Divine Names”, and “On the Heavenly Hierarchy”, Dionysius the Areopagite derives a complex antinomic system of symbolic designations of the Divine Essence, qualifying a part of them as apophatic (dissimilar) and the other part as kataphatic (similar). Perhaps, the reasoning model of refutatio + probatio in ancient rhetoric, the apophatic-cataphatic principle of determining the names of God in the “Corpus Areopagiticum”, and refutational-probative argumentation in “The Sermon on Law and Grace” are formal links of a general rhetorical oratory chain. However, this issue requires a more thorough study based on a wide range of literary material, including ancient, biblical, medieval, etc.

Being There Even When You Are Not: Presence in Distance Preaching

Listening to sermons through digital media is not new. However, the pandemic pressed many preachers into a medium in unexpected ways. The need for immediate solutions did not allow time for preachers to reflect on what was happening theologically. This paper explores theological presence. The question of how one creates connection and presence when no one is even in the same room, city, or country is not a new one. The rhetorical concern of being “present while absent” shows up in the writings of ancient rhetoricians, opening the door for theological conversation. Recognizing there are ways to employ rhetorical techniques for non-virtuous ends, the pandemic also exposed that some virtuous attempts also failed the ecclesial need to build relationships online. Digital platforms and social media give churches and ministers opportunities to hold space for developing relationships and witnessing the Gospel.

Теория на аргументацията на Хаим Перелман

Abstract: This article includes a review of the basic scientific publications of Chaim Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca. Attempts to reconceptualize ancient rhetoric in its part on argumentation are presented. Conclusions are drawn after reviewing the publications of other scholars studying argumentation. It is presented as part of fundamental rhetorical knowledge, together with projections into the legal/legal sphere and into politics. Projections of argumentation in the speaker's behavior and in his goal to achieve persuasion while respecting ethical norms, rules and morality are identified. Intersections between rhetoric, philosophy, and argumentation are presented. The contribution of rhetoric to humanistic knowledge is demonstrated through a critical review of the scholarly publications of Chaim Perelman and Lucie Olbrecht-Tyteca and other scholars publishing in the fields of rhetoric and philosophy in the 20th and 21st centuries. Keywords: rhetoric, argumentation, argument, philosophy, Haim Perelman, Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca.

Думи на водещите броя

Думи на водещите броя

Some Functions of Rhetorical Questions in Lysias’ Forensic Orations

Abstract The rhetorical question, often assumed to have been favoured by the sophist Gorgias, became a fundamental feature of ancient rhetoric in both Greek and Latin. By the time of Senecan tragedy, an accumulation of as many as seventeen serial rhetorical questions can be found expressing extremes of emotion, especially indignation or despair. Rhetorical questions in some archaic and classical Greek authors have received limited attention, for example, in the Iliad those delivered by Thersites in exciting indignation (2.225–233) and by the authorial voice to create pathos in asking Patroclus about the Trojans he has killed (16.692–693); the string of questions Aphrodite humorously asks in Sappho 1; the ritual queries in the Derveni Papyrus; the series of two to three questions found (often near the beginning of speeches) in the agōns of some tragedies. But the increasing variety and sophistication of the deployment of the rhetorical question in the Greek orators has been surprisingly neglected. This article analyses some of the different uses to which Lysias puts rhetorical questions especially in relation to characterisation in his orations and argues that they represent a considerable advance on the practice of any predecessor in any genre.

Sacred Stories for Human Beings with Bodies and Brains

Recent studies on the dynamics and purposes of storytelling have highlighted the ways that stories employ embodied, affective, and conceptual elements in order to reinforce cultural values and prompt further ethical reflection. These aspects of storytelling are supported and enriched by insights from ancient rhetoricians and contemporary cognitive scientists who have shown how vivid description, mental simulation of embodied activity, and conceptual blending work through our bodies and brains to move us affectively and mentally. The sacred stories of the Bible, strengthened by their divine dimensions and existential issues, work with the same elements to move their audiences. Luke 5:27–39 (Jesus’s encounter with Levi) and Luke 7:11–17 (Jesus raising a widow’s son) are explored as test cases to illuminate the power that embodiment, emotion, simulation, and conceptualization can have in stories that touch upon the sacred, prompting their audiences to ethical reflection and action.

Flavius Josephus op de sofa?

Until recently, scholars have mainly studied the autobiographical practices of Flavius Josephus to recover the life and thought of this Jewish author. The controversial aspects of Josephus’ life story have resulted in a clear bias of some scholars against this Jewish historian and doubts about his motives for writing so elaborately about his past. The present article breaks with this trend by offering a literary analysis of Josephus’ self-presentation as author of, and literary character in, the Life, an autobiographical text which was originally appended to the Jewish Antiquities. First, I discuss the nature of character (ἦθος) in ancient rhetoric and its potential relevance for interpreting historiographical texts. Using this interpretive framework, I examine several key passages from the Life – in particular the apologetic digression addressed to Justus and the inhabitants of Tiberias – and interpret these in light of the literary relationship of the Life with the Antiquities and the claims to authority Josephus advances in that text.

Latin Accentual Clausula as Exemplified in 14th-Century Prose Texts by Dante and Boccaccio

This paper studies 14th-century Latin prose rhythm as exemplified by Dante and Boccaccio. The texts observed in this analysis are samples from De Monarchia, De vulgari eloquentia, Quaestio de aqua et terra and Epistole by Dante and De mulieribus claris and De casibus virorum illustrium by Boccaccio. In ancient rhetoric, rhythmical units were used at the ends of sentences and clauses in prose texts. These units were called clausulae, and the rhythm of classical prose was based on the quantity of syllables. Medieval Latin prose rhythm, however, was based on word stress and was called cursus. The aim of this paper is to study what kinds of cursus occur in the given text samples and their frequency. The research method used in this paper is comparative-statistical analysis. The distribution of cursus in these samples is also analysed by chapters and different types of cursus are distinguished.

Antique dialogue and dialectics in english language

The article traces an organic connection between ancient dialogue, which is the art of people’s verbal relationships (exchange of opinions, dispute, discussion), and ancient dialectics, which arose in the depths of dialogue as a method of conceptual and categorical thinking, as something that presupposes it, “its own other”. On the basis of rich empirical material, it is proved that dialectics, as the highest form of human mental activity, is rooted in ancient dialogue and rhetoric as a theory of dialogue, oratorical discursive thinking. After getting acquainted with the subject parallels between dialogue, rhetoric (including sophistic) and dialectics, the reader understands Aristotle’s position on rhetoric as an "art corresponding to dialectics", as a certain part and similarity of dialectics.