Demosthenes as Text: Classical Reception and British Rhetorical History

Advances in the History of Rhetoric Jan 2016

Demosthenes as Text: Classical Reception and British Rhetorical History

Lois Agnew

Abstract

ABSTRACT British rhetorical theorists demonstrate a persistent interest in Demosthenes, but their interpretations of his significance reflect different understandings of rhetoric. This article uses reception theory to illuminate how British depictions of Demosthenes at different moments in history reflect writers’ values and rhetorical aims. The focus on Demosthenes as a model of rhetorical prowess becomes particularly important for nineteenth-century British theorists who conceive of rhetoric as an individualistic display of linguistic virtuosity. Viewing Demosthenes through the lens of reception history reveals the inherent instability of a disciplinary history that is not only shaped by important figures, but also constructs those figures in ways that reflect shifting scholarly values.

Journal: Advances in the History of Rhetoric
Published: 2016-01-02
DOI: 10.1080/15362426.2016.1137249
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Topics: archival research multimodality multilingual writers

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

Homar (2017)

Rhetorical Accretion and Rhetorical Criticism in William Hazlitt’s …

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Kennerly (2017)

Socrates <i>Ex Situ</i>

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Cites in this index (0)

No references match articles in this index.

Also cites 5 works outside this index ↓

Blanshard (2005)

Thomas Wilson’s Demosthenes and the Politics of Tudor Translation

International Journal of the Classical Tradition ↗
Collins (1999)

The Speaker Respoken: Material Rhetoric as Feminist Methodology

College English ↗
Martindale (2006)

Classics and the Uses of Reception

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Russell (1966)

10.1017/S001738350001545X

Greece and Rome ↗
Whitmarsh (2006)

Classics and the Uses of Reception

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