Plutarch and Rhetoric
The Relationship of Rhetoric to Ethics, Politics and Education in the First and Second Centuries AD
Theofanis Tsiampokalos
A fundamental reappraisal of Plutarch’s attitude towards rhetoric.
Plutarch was not only a skilled writer, but also lived during the Second Sophistic, a period of cultural renaissance. This book offers new insights into Plutarch’s seemingly moderate attitude towards rhetoric. The hypothesis explored in this study introduces, for the first time, the broader literary and cultural contexts that influenced and restricted the scope of Plutarch’s message. When these contexts are considered, a new perspective emerges that differs from that found in earlier studies. It paints a picture of a philosopher who may not regard rhetoric as a lesser means of persuasion, but who faces challenges in openly articulating this stance in his public discourse.
Ebook available in Open Access.
This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).
Format: Monograph - free ebook - PDF
270 pages
ISBN: 9789461665706
Publication: August 26, 2024
Series: Plutarchea Hypomnemata
Languages: English: United Kingdom
It will undoubtedly become the most widely read and influential monograph on Plutarch and rhetoric in print, and has much to say to scholars of the so-called Second Sophistic as well as to everyone interested in the position of rhetoric in antiquity and its relationship with other branches of knowledge, such as philosophy. – Chrysanthos S. Chrysanthou, Assistant Professor of Ancient Greek, University of Cyprus