The Rhetoric of Conspiracy in Ancient Athens

Bibliographic Data

ID20025458
AuthorsJoseph Roisman (corresponding author)
EditorsJeffrey Corbin, Carla D'Antonio
Year2006
Pages199
Publication date2006-07-11
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenueThe rhetoric of conspiracy in ancient Athens (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherUniversity of California Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1525/california/9780520247871.001.0001
OpenAlexW599813367
ISBN9780520247871
Open LibraryOL3413457M
LanguageEN
Citations received11

The Attic orators, whose works are an invaluable source on the social and political history of Classical Athens, often filled their speeches with charges of conspiracy involving almost every facet of Athenian life. There are allegations of plots against men's lives, property, careers, and reputations, as well as charges of conspiracy against the public interest, the government, the management of foreign affairs, and more. Until now, however, this obsession with conspiracy has received little scholarly attention. In order to develop the first full picture of this important feature of Athenian discourse, this book examines the range and nature of the conspiracy charges. The author asks why they were so popular, and considers their rhetorical, cultural, and psychological significance. He also investigates the historical likelihood of the scenarios advanced for these plots, and asks what their prevalence suggests about the Athenians and their worldview. The author concludes by comparing ancient and modern conspiracy theories. In addition to shedding new light on Athenian history and culture, his study provides a perspective on the use of conspiracy as a rhetorical ploy

Art · Literature · Media studies · Perspective (graphical) · Political science · Politics · Rhetoric · Rhetorical question · Sociology · Visual arts · Classical Antiquity Studies · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · History · Law · Philosophy · Ancient Oratory · Ancient Rhetoric · Athens · Athens (greece) · Conspiracies · Conspiracies in literature · Greece · Greek · History and criticism · Oratory, Ancient · Political aspects · Political aspects of Rhetoric · politics and government · Politics and literature · Rhetoric, Ancient · Speeches, addresses, etc · To 1500

Tools

Open DOILibgen