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خطباء اليونان
«لقد كان الإغريق خطباء بالفطرة؛ فنجد فيما نملكه من السجلَّات شِبه التاريخية أن فصاحة اللسان هِبة لا تقلُّ عن الشجاعة في القتال. ولم تقُم شهرة الملوك والأمراء على قوة بأسهم فحسب، بل كانوا يقودون الشعوب بآرائهم ونصائحهم؛ إذ كانوا يستعملون الحكمةَ وطلاقة اللسان في إملاء تعليماتهم.»
تحتلُّ الخطابة مكانة متميِّزة في الثقافة الإغريقية القديمة؛ إذ عُرف الإغريق بفصاحة اللسان، فظهر بينهم كثيرٌ من الخطباء الذين احتلُّوا مكانة بارزة في المجتمع اليوناني، وقد سلَّط هذا الكتاب الضوء على مجموعة من الخطباء الذين سطعوا في سماء الأدب اليوناني وسطَّروا أبلغ الخطَب، ومنهم: «أنتيفون» الذي استخدَم في خطَبه الألفاظ الشعرية على نطاق واسع، ومن أشهر خطَبه الخطبة التي ألقاها أمام القضاء أثناء ثورة الأربعمائة؛ و«تراسوماخوس» الذي ألَّف كُتيبًا في البلاغة وعددًا من الخطَب الميثولوجية؛ و«لوسياس» الذي تميَّز بالتجديد وغزارة الإنتاج، فلم يكن يستعمل مقدِّمةً مرتَين، بل كان لكل خطبةٍ مقدِّمتُها التي تتَّفق مع ظروفها؛ وغيرهم الكثير ممَّن لهم إسهامات متميِّزة في فن الخطابة.
تحتلُّ الخطابة مكانة متميِّزة في الثقافة الإغريقية القديمة؛ إذ عُرف الإغريق بفصاحة اللسان، فظهر بينهم كثيرٌ من الخطباء الذين احتلُّوا مكانة بارزة في المجتمع اليوناني، وقد سلَّط هذا الكتاب الضوء على مجموعة من الخطباء الذين سطعوا في سماء الأدب اليوناني وسطَّروا أبلغ الخطَب، ومنهم: «أنتيفون» الذي استخدَم في خطَبه الألفاظ الشعرية على نطاق واسع، ومن أشهر خطَبه الخطبة التي ألقاها أمام القضاء أثناء ثورة الأربعمائة؛ و«تراسوماخوس» الذي ألَّف كُتيبًا في البلاغة وعددًا من الخطَب الميثولوجية؛ و«لوسياس» الذي تميَّز بالتجديد وغزارة الإنتاج، فلم يكن يستعمل مقدِّمةً مرتَين، بل كان لكل خطبةٍ مقدِّمتُها التي تتَّفق مع ظروفها؛ وغيرهم الكثير ممَّن لهم إسهامات متميِّزة في فن الخطابة.
264 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1919
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 31, 2008
"It is easy to defend the innocent" Publilius Syrus insists "but who is eloquent enough to defend the guilty?" It isn't a frivolous question, quite the opposite—it demands of us more than who? but how: how is it that these skills are crafted? By what means? Through what study? How is it that eloquence can be cultivated and brought to maturity? And admitting that eloquence could dispose of the case—by charm and enchantment—we are impelled to ask whether it should? That nagging problem of casuistry: whether the weak argument should be made strong? And supposing we do, is it really strong? Or only seemingly?
But to take up this last set of questions will balloon our inquiry to so large size that it would stretch all bounds and explode this entry. Let me limit myself, then, with the first set: who are the heroes of eloquence? How? By what feats?
The Greek Orators, by Dobson, is a terrific start to these questions. Dobson has assembled a thrifty, but not miserly, account of the high days of Attic oratory, with a sampling of its most celebrated figures. The arrangement within chapters is rightly done, especially the division of historical context and stylistic features. The book proceeds through its cast at a steady pace; and although the discussion is necessarily condensed, Dobson gives enough material for us to construct images of each orator. Most of all, Dobson is at his best when he is doing stylistic analysis—including input from other commentator; and his observations are rarely repetitive, and more than interesting, they are often insightful.
Still, The Greek Orators is not free from stutters and stumbles. The evolution of style that Dobson is so eager to impress—from Antiphon to Demosthenes—is not well demonstrated; and it is difficult to perceive the marks of influence that he insists later orators have adopted from earlier ones. His discussion, though never boring, dulls at times, as he prepares the foundations for Isocrates and Demosthenes. This was unfortunate. If Lysias and Isaeus were so important for understanding the style of pre-Hellenic speaking, then more emphasis was needed here. A strange start was made with the glancing pass by Thucydides, followed by a long stop at Antiphon. Though the Antiphon chapter was terrific, this juxtaposition sits uncomfortably with the relative historical importance of the two in the tradition, and required more explanation. And Dobson has an annoying quality of teasing the reader with arousing comparisons of Plato's style to that of the Orators; but, with unthinking obedience to his discipline, Dobson never follows up these lusty possibilities, and rather follows through with his discussion with a frigid narrow-mindedness.
But what Dobson loses with his concentration he repays with scope. Brevity has been balanced with breath; and even if topics were not explored, nearly every issue was compassed. Ultimately Dobson is not intimate enough with the Orators to discover their most guarded secrets; but, strong in acquaintance, the reader is happily introduced.
But to take up this last set of questions will balloon our inquiry to so large size that it would stretch all bounds and explode this entry. Let me limit myself, then, with the first set: who are the heroes of eloquence? How? By what feats?
The Greek Orators, by Dobson, is a terrific start to these questions. Dobson has assembled a thrifty, but not miserly, account of the high days of Attic oratory, with a sampling of its most celebrated figures. The arrangement within chapters is rightly done, especially the division of historical context and stylistic features. The book proceeds through its cast at a steady pace; and although the discussion is necessarily condensed, Dobson gives enough material for us to construct images of each orator. Most of all, Dobson is at his best when he is doing stylistic analysis—including input from other commentator; and his observations are rarely repetitive, and more than interesting, they are often insightful.
Still, The Greek Orators is not free from stutters and stumbles. The evolution of style that Dobson is so eager to impress—from Antiphon to Demosthenes—is not well demonstrated; and it is difficult to perceive the marks of influence that he insists later orators have adopted from earlier ones. His discussion, though never boring, dulls at times, as he prepares the foundations for Isocrates and Demosthenes. This was unfortunate. If Lysias and Isaeus were so important for understanding the style of pre-Hellenic speaking, then more emphasis was needed here. A strange start was made with the glancing pass by Thucydides, followed by a long stop at Antiphon. Though the Antiphon chapter was terrific, this juxtaposition sits uncomfortably with the relative historical importance of the two in the tradition, and required more explanation. And Dobson has an annoying quality of teasing the reader with arousing comparisons of Plato's style to that of the Orators; but, with unthinking obedience to his discipline, Dobson never follows up these lusty possibilities, and rather follows through with his discussion with a frigid narrow-mindedness.
But what Dobson loses with his concentration he repays with scope. Brevity has been balanced with breath; and even if topics were not explored, nearly every issue was compassed. Ultimately Dobson is not intimate enough with the Orators to discover their most guarded secrets; but, strong in acquaintance, the reader is happily introduced.
June 29, 2014
I've read a few books on the Athenian orators. This is a good summary and has few excerpts from the extant works of the great ones.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews