‘I leave out Olynthus...’: reflections on the non-use of enargeia in Demosthenes' arguments against Philip II's policy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54103/2282-0035/28878Keywords:
Demosthenes, Philip II, enargeia, rhetorics, violenceAbstract
On the basis of sources and studies concerning Demosthenes' use of enargeia, the paper surveys selected passages from the Third and Fourth Philippics and from the orations On the Chersonese and On the Crown, in which the orator refuses to focus on the violence perpetrated or endorsed by Philip II on cities and populations. The aim of the paper is to investigate the reasons why a vivid description of the Macedonian king's behaviour would not be an argument in favour of Demosthenes' theses in the orations, highlighting on the other hand how enargeia instead supports the orator's arguments in the speeches in which this rhetorical instrument is detected. The article attempts to investigate the cognitive, emotional and logical reasons behind Demosthenes' caution, which should also be framed in the historical-political context in which these orations were delivered. Particular attention is devoted to the orator's intention (especially in the Assembly speeches) to induce the Athenians to react promptly to the rapid and pressing sequence of Philip's conquests.
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