Sublime, Decline and Style

24 Março 2020, 10:00 • Fotini Hadjittofi

SUBLIME, DECLINE AND STYLE (ON-LINE)

Greek: The Sublime and the Alleged Decline of Rhetoric Questions

What is the sublime and what does it have to do with rhetoric? Is the sublime “analyzable”? What does the author of this work think is the problem with rhetoric in his day? Who are his

“heroes”? Would imitating them be enough to “fix” the problem?

Primary Text
Pseudo-Longinus, On the Sublime Secondary Readings

Geller, N. and Zacharias, A. 2009. “Rhetoric’s Cure: The Sublime Τέχνη of Longinus”, Classica et Mediaevalia 66: 163–189.

Innes, D. 1995. “Longinus, Sublimity and the Low Emotions”, in D. Innes, H. Hine, and C. Pelling (eds.), Ethics and Rhetoric: 323–333. Oxford.

Whitmarsh, T. 2001. Greek Literature and the Roman Empire: The Politics of Imitation: 57– 71. Oxford.

Greek: Atticism and Asianism

Questions

“Atticism” is usually defined as the fluent use of the classical Attic dialect by later Greek authors, during the period now known as the Second Sophistic (mid-first to third centuries CE). What do you think motivated this trend? What was at stake in imitating a dialect that was no longer spoken? How does Kim (below) define “Atticism” and “Asianism”?

What does Lucian think is the problem with contemporary rhetoric? How do his views compare with those of “Longinus”?

Primary Text
Lucian, Lexiphanes and The Teacher of Rhetoric Secondary Readings

Cribiore, R. 2007. “Lucian, Libanius, and the Short Road to Rhetoric”, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 47: 71–86.

Goldhill, S. 2009. “Rhetoric and the Second Sophistic”, in E. Gunderson (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Rhetoric: 228–242. Cambridge.

Kim, L. 2017. “Atticism and Asianism”, in D. S. Richter and W. A. Johnson (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the Second Sophistic: 41–66. Oxford.

Roman: The Decline of Oratory—Roman Perspective

Questions

Do you think Tacitus believes there was a decline in the standard of Roman oratory?
What accounts for the notion of a decline in Roman oratory?
Is the idea of a decline of Roman oratory based upon verifiable phenomena in terms of its

production and quality or is it best viewed as a myth?

Primary Text
Tacitus, Dialogue on Orators 27.1–35.5 Secondary Readings

Dominik, W. J. 1997. “The Style is the Man: Seneca, Tacitus and Quintilian’s Canon”, in W. J. Dominik (ed.), Roman Eloquence: Rhetoric in Society and Literature: 59–66. London.

Dominik, W. J. 2007. “Tacitus and Pliny on Oratory”, in W. Dominik and J. Hall (eds.), A Companion to Roman Rhetoric: 323–338. Oxford.

Roman: Issues of Style

Questions

What style of expression does Aper defend in Tacitus’ Dialogue on Orators?
What are some of the differences between the “new” style and the Ciceronian style? What are

the cultural factors that possibly account for some of these differences?
Why does Quintilian hate Seneca and his style?
What debates about oratorical or literary style do we have today in our modern academic

culture? Are they in any way similar to the issues that are raised by Roman orators and rhetoricians?

Primary Texts

Tacitus, Dialogue on Orators 15.1–27.2 Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria 10.1.125–131

Secondary Readings

Dominik, W. J. 1997. “The Style is the Man: Seneca, Tacitus and Quintilian’s Canon”, in W. J. Dominik (ed.), Roman Eloquence: Rhetoric in Society and Literature: 50–68. London.

Dominik, W. J. 2007. “Tacitus and Pliny on Oratory”, in W. Dominik and J. Hall (eds.), A Companion to Roman Rhetoric: 330–334. Oxford.