Sumbouloi: the Self-Perception of the Attic Orators
Bianco, Elisabetta
Sumbouloi: the Self-Perception of the Attic Orators - 2017.
85
When we talk about Attic orators, we think of the Greek word rhetores, but in reality, if we analyze the self-perception that they seem to have, we are struck by the effort that some of them are making to not be defined in this way and to characterize through this term their political enemies. The decision to use this title sounds like an accusation but a rather curious one, since those who use it always seem to forget their status of rhetor to denounce their opponents. To remedy this obvious contradiction, a new, positive term thus had to be chosen, and I propose here, by analyzing various oratorical sources, to highlight the role of Demosthenes, who played a determining part in the dissemination of the word sumboulos (“councillor,” a word already, albeit rarely, used by his predecessors), to characterize those capable of speaking in public with a view to the superior good of their polis.
Sumbouloi: the Self-Perception of the Attic Orators - 2017.
85
When we talk about Attic orators, we think of the Greek word rhetores, but in reality, if we analyze the self-perception that they seem to have, we are struck by the effort that some of them are making to not be defined in this way and to characterize through this term their political enemies. The decision to use this title sounds like an accusation but a rather curious one, since those who use it always seem to forget their status of rhetor to denounce their opponents. To remedy this obvious contradiction, a new, positive term thus had to be chosen, and I propose here, by analyzing various oratorical sources, to highlight the role of Demosthenes, who played a determining part in the dissemination of the word sumboulos (“councillor,” a word already, albeit rarely, used by his predecessors), to characterize those capable of speaking in public with a view to the superior good of their polis.
Réseaux sociaux