The Beginnings of Rhetorical Theory in Classical Greece

Download or read book The Beginnings of Rhetorical Theory in Classical Greece written by Edward Schiappa and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, Edward Schiappa argues that rhetorical theory did not originate with the Sophists in the fifth century B.C.E. as is commonly believed, but came into being a century later. Schiappa examines closely the terminology of the Sophists (such as Gorgias and Protagoras) and of their reporters and opponents (especially Plato and Aristotle) and contends that the terms and problems constituting what we think of as rhetorical theory had not yet been formed in the era of the early Sophists. His revision of rhetoric's early history changes the way we read the Sophists, Aristotle, and Plato. His book will be of interest to students of classics, communications, philosophy, and rhetoric.