Rhetoric Society Quarterly Jun 1990

Isocrates and Aristotle on rhetoric

William Benoit

Abstract

Accordingly when Aristotle observed that Isocrates succeeded in obtaining a distinguished set of pupils by abandoning legal and political subjects and devoting his discourses to empty elegance of style, he himself suddenly altered almost the whole of his own system of training, and quoted a line from Philoctetes with a slight modification: the hero in the tragedy said that it was a disgrace for him to keep silent and barbarians to speak, but Aristotle put in suffer Isocrates to speak; and consequently he put the whole of his system in a polished and brilliant form, and linked the scientific study of facts with practice in style (Cicero, 1942, III.139; see also Philodemus, 1920, p. 329; or Quintilian 1920, III.i.14).

Journal
Rhetoric Society Quarterly
Published
1990-06-01
DOI
10.1080/02773949009390888
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Topics
classical rhetoric rhetorical criticism
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Behme (2004)
    Isocrates on the Ethics of Authorship
    Rhetoric Review

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    De inventione
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