The Tabula Claudiana or Tabula Lugdunensis, unearthed at Lyon in 1528, preserves part of a speech delivered to the senate in AD 48 by Claudius. The emperor pleads to admit the elites of Gallia... Show moreThe Tabula Claudiana or Tabula Lugdunensis, unearthed at Lyon in 1528, preserves part of a speech delivered to the senate in AD 48 by Claudius. The emperor pleads to admit the elites of Gallia Comata to the Roman senate. This article presents a rhetorical analysis of the speech. Modern readers have labeled the style of the speech ‘bombastic’ and ‘pedantic’, while criticizing its many historical examples. An examination of the speech in terms of inventio, dispositio and elocutio, however, demonstrates that Claudius carefully constructs the ethos of a knowledgeable and open-minded authority. It is argued that two moments of rhetorical persuasion could be distinguished: the senate meeting in Rome and the publication of the bronze inscription at the sanctuary of the Three Gauls at Lugdunum. Not much deliberative rhetoric was perhaps needed to persuade the senators to agree with their emperor; the display of the inscription, on the other hand, could be interpreted as a form of epideictic rhetoric, which may have given a significant boost to the confidence of Roman citizens in Gaul. While some senators in Rome may have disliked the lengthy historical exempla as part of the oral speech, visitors of the sanctuary in Lugdunum may have appreciated seeing Gaul included in the long history of Rome. Show less
This chapter compares two reading lists of Greek literature, one from the Augustan Age and one from the Second Sophistic: Dionysius of Halicarnassus’ On Imitation and Dio of Prusa’s letter On... Show moreThis chapter compares two reading lists of Greek literature, one from the Augustan Age and one from the Second Sophistic: Dionysius of Halicarnassus’ On Imitation and Dio of Prusa’s letter On Training for Public Speaking (oration 18). Although several scholars have argued that the two lists are similar, this chapter argues that they are fundamentally different. Dionysius prefers Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Herodotus and Demosthenes, he ignores Hellenistic and imperial writers, and he demands that his students work hard. Dio recommends Menander, Euripides, Xenophon and Aeschines, he includes orators from the Augustan Age, and he tells his addressee that laborious training is not needed. In many points Dio’s reading list corresponds more closely to Quintilian’s contemporary canon (in Institutio oratoria book 10) than to Dionysius’ On Imitation. Three factors can explain the differences between the reading lists presented by Dionysius and Dio: their audiences, the literary preferences of the Augustan Age and the Flavian Age, and the genres of their works. Dionysius’ reading list is part of a serious rhetorical treatise which foregrounds the ‘beauty’ of classical Greek literature. Dio’s reading list is presented in a light-hearted letter which adopts a more pragmatic (and at times humoristic) approach to rhetorical imitation. Show less
In the field of Western art music, improvisation has become a much discussed topic. In this interdisciplinary study Mooiman argues that in this context, improvisation is not to be seen as a quasi... Show moreIn the field of Western art music, improvisation has become a much discussed topic. In this interdisciplinary study Mooiman argues that in this context, improvisation is not to be seen as a quasi-autonomous skill or art form, but as an aspect of music-making in general. With this research, Mooiman offers a ‘panorama’ of nineteenth-century styles and situations of music-making that together sketch a picture of improvisatory aspects of nineteenth-century music. Music was generally experienced as a wordless language, and he argues that making music was understood as a rhetorical act: performers strove for musical persuasion. This study focuses on the performer: it explores how performers in the nineteenth century might have thought during the real-time act of music-making, and how performers today might learn to use musical languages from the past actively again. For this last aspect, the area of music theory is relevant; Mooiman concludes his dissertation with a discussion of how traditional music theory is challenged by improvisatory music-making. Show less
Ancient rhetoricians such as Cicero and Quintilian advised orators to apply memoria strategies to memorize their speech. Modern public-speaking textbooks recommend various rhetorical techniques to... Show moreAncient rhetoricians such as Cicero and Quintilian advised orators to apply memoria strategies to memorize their speech. Modern public-speaking textbooks recommend various rhetorical techniques to make messages memorable for audiences. However, the effect of these techniques on information retention has been sparsely studied.This dissertation investigates how rhetorical techniques in speeches can enhance information retention by the audience. Using a three-way approach, it connects rhetorical theory, advice and practice to insights from memory psychology.First, an analysis of influential English-language and Dutch-language public-speaking textbooks showed that frequently advised retention techniques are related to organization, elaboration and visualization—three encoding principles that contribute to information storage. Authors prefer the conclusion of a speech for influencing retention.Secondly, the study describes how scholars, politicians and TED speakers use organization and elaboration techniques (e.g. summaries and anecdotes) in public-speaking practice. Results indicate discrepancies with textbook advice and context-dependent technique variants.Thirdly, two experiments were performed that focused on three organization techniques applied in conclusions of informative presentations. Results show that announcing the conclusion and providing an informative summary can enhance information retention by the audience. We are one step closer to knowing what makes messages memorable. Show less
The sublime plays an important role in recent publications on Greek and Latin literature. On the one hand, scholars try to make sense of ancient Greek theories of the sublime, both in Longinus’ On ...Show moreThe sublime plays an important role in recent publications on Greek and Latin literature. On the one hand, scholars try to make sense of ancient Greek theories of the sublime, both in Longinus’ On the Sublime and in other rhetorical texts. On the other hand, the sublime, in its ancient and modern manifestations presented by thinkers from Longinus to Burke, Kant and Lyotard, has proved to be a productive tool for interpreting the works of Latin poets like Lucretius, Lucan and Seneca. But what is the sublime? And how does the Greek rhetorical sublime in Longinus relate to the Roman literary sublime in Lucretius and other poets? This article reviews James I. Porter, The Sublime in Antiquity: it evaluates Porter’s innovative approach to the ancient sublime, and considers the ways in which it might change our understanding of an important, but somewhat enigmatic concept. Show less
This article discusses the critical comparison (σύγκρισις) of the styles of Demosthenesand Cicero in Longinus, On the Sublime 12.4-5. Many readers have claimed that Longinushere presents... Show moreThis article discusses the critical comparison (σύγκρισις) of the styles of Demosthenesand Cicero in Longinus, On the Sublime 12.4-5. Many readers have claimed that Longinushere presents Demosthenes and Cicero as two different models of the sublime. A detailedanalysis of the passage, however, reveals that while the two are both creditedwith grandeur (μέγεθος), they are in fact not treated on a par with respect to sublimity(ὕψος). While the style of Demosthenes is described with keywords of Longinus’ conceptionof the sublime (ὕψος), Cicero’s style is consistently associated with the qualityof diffusion (χύσις), which is closely associated with amplification (αὔξησις). Longinus’discussion of Cicero may have pleased the Roman readers in his audience, as he ispresented as a canonical author of ‘great’ literature. We argue, however, that in the end,Longinus reserves the status of sublimity for his heroes of classical Greece. Show less
This contribution is a plea to pay more systematicattention to the infrequently studied, fine-grained grammatical phenomenon ofcomplementation in the analysis of political discourse. The way the... Show moreThis contribution is a plea to pay more systematicattention to the infrequently studied, fine-grained grammatical phenomenon ofcomplementation in the analysis of political discourse. The way the Dutchradical populist Geert Wilders uses complementation serves as a case study tothat end. In the first half of the contribution, an in-depth description of thephenomenon of complementation is given; it is argued that the use ofcomplementation affects the degree of certainty by which a speaker presents hisideas. The second half of the contribution reports on a diachronic analysis ofGeert Wilders’ use of complementation in 47 parliamentary speeches held between2004 and 2009. It is argued that Wilders’ use of complementation significantlydecreases between 2004 and 2009. The decrease is not a gradual transition: abreak occurs between 2006 and 2007. This is an indication that Wilders offersless room for discussion from this period onwards. Strikingly, Wilders’ changeduse of complementation coincides with the moment that political scientistsindicate as the moment that Wilders’ political views radicalized. The casestudy not only shows that studying complementation can add to the inventory oflinguistic phenomena relevant to the analysis of political discourse; it alsostresses the significance of combining quantitative and qualitative methods ofanalysis for the quantification of stylistic phenomena. Show less
The study of newspaper legends emerged as a vital research topic in the nineteen fifties and has so far focused on the past half century. The present study explores the potential of digitized... Show moreThe study of newspaper legends emerged as a vital research topic in the nineteen fifties and has so far focused on the past half century. The present study explores the potential of digitized newspaper archives to analyze the discursive construction of newspaper legends in Dutch dailies during the years 1850-1950. Emic concepts of Dutch journalists are contextualized in shifts regarding content, genre and work routines of the Dutch daily press. During this period, the most frequently used label for traditional stories of uncertain veracity was zeeslang, i.e. sea serpent. These stories were said to be particularly frequent during the slow news season in summer, the so-called komkommertijd (lit. ‘cucumber time’). Identifying and condemning these stories as false or unreliable served the rhetorical function of bolstering the journalists’ ethos as a credible professional. Discussing sea serpent and cucumber stories, journalists demarcated their routines and output from those of less professional news purveyors (Gieryn’s ‘boundary work’). The most commonly named scapegoat were allegedly money-driven American journalistic practices. Show less
News media and web-based discussion forums frequently feature crime stories so monstrous that they defy belief and are classified as crime legends. The present study focuses on the rhetorical means... Show moreNews media and web-based discussion forums frequently feature crime stories so monstrous that they defy belief and are classified as crime legends. The present study focuses on the rhetorical means employed by journalists and forum users to convince their audience of the veracity and value – or the lack thereof – of these recur¬rent stories about horrendous crimes. Two cases were studied: stories featuring the motif Drugged and Abused (1885-2008) and the tale type of the Smiley Gang (2003). It is argued that approaching crime legends as rhetorical constructions instead of essentially untrue stories opens new windows for the analysis of both news and vernacular discourse and as a point of departure for critiquing journalistic practices Show less
Considering that early modern scholars often referred to the Middle Ages as an uncouth period of darkness and ignorance, it is surprising that humanist historians by no means neglected the era. The... Show moreConsidering that early modern scholars often referred to the Middle Ages as an uncouth period of darkness and ignorance, it is surprising that humanist historians by no means neglected the era. The central hypothesis of this book is that the ways in which historians such as Reynier Snoy, Adrianus Barlandus, Petrus Divaeus, and Janus Dousa Sr described the medieval past can be explained by the political context from which their writings originated and in which they were often directly involved. This context was marked by upheavals caused by factors such as the Habsburg centralization policy, the Reformation, and the Dutch Revolt. This book brings forward key characteristics of early modern medievalism, showing how concepts of the medieval were used as rhetorical tools, how medieval forms and ideals were appropriated, and how the classical heritage was involved in the representation of the medieval. This analysis is informed by an approach to historical writing that differs from what is common in the study of sixteenth-century historiography. Historiography is regarded not as a means to uncover the historical truth, but as narrative rhetoric. It deploys narrative techniques and intertextual allusions and plays with genre expectations in order to convey its message. Show less
The aim of this study is to specify the strategic function of stance adverbs when qualifying a standpoint in an argumentative discussion. Stance adverbs are words like __clearly__, __obviously__, _... Show moreThe aim of this study is to specify the strategic function of stance adverbs when qualifying a standpoint in an argumentative discussion. Stance adverbs are words like __clearly__, __obviously__, __perhaps__, __technically__, __frankly__, and __fortunately__. They have been extensively studied in the fields of semantics and syntax as well as pragmatics and discourse analysis. However, they have not specifically been studied with an interest in their effect on the progress of an argumentative discussion when they are used to qualify the standpoint. In this study a specific argumentative perspective is adopted, according to which the strategic function of stance adverbs is described with respect to the burden of proof that an arguer incurs when advancing a standpoint. In this view, an arguer chooses a particular way to qualify the standpoint in an attempt to successfully meet his obligation to defend the standpoint at the end of the argumentative discussion. The proposed theoretical account provides a basis for assessing whether the use of a stance adverb to qualify a standpoint observes the standards that should be followed for a reasonable resolution of a difference of opinion. Show less
The Rhetoric of Two Museums and the Representation and Canonization of Modern Art (1935-1975): The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the Museum of Modern Art in New York Museums of modern art have... Show moreThe Rhetoric of Two Museums and the Representation and Canonization of Modern Art (1935-1975): The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the Museum of Modern Art in New York Museums of modern art have determined the course of modern art history. Their contributions to the representation and canonization of modern art have been shaped by how they have presented art in their (temporary) exhibitions and publications. They have provided the public with a verbal and visual story of modern art. In order to provide greater insight into the process of the creation of the museums__ stories, this book uses __rhetoric__ to deconstruct their stories of modern art. Rhetoric is used as an analytical model to investigate the communications of modern art museums. Their goals are to communicate their stories and to persuade their various audiences of the importance of modern art. The principal strategies of classical rhetoric ethos, pathos and logos are used as the main entries for this book. Two influential museums are compared: the Museum of Modern Art (New York) and the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam). The differences in their goals, financing, audiences and positions in their societies, have determined their different persuasive strategies. By analyzing these museums as orators and deconstructing their verbal and visual rhetoric, the process of representation and canonization is clarified. Show less
The Greek rhetorician and historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus was active in Rome at the end of the first century BC. In his rhetorical writings, he analyses the styles of classical Greek orators,... Show moreThe Greek rhetorician and historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus was active in Rome at the end of the first century BC. In his rhetorical writings, he analyses the styles of classical Greek orators, historiographers and poets, including Homer, Lysias, Isocrates, Demosthenes and Thucydides. Dionysius believes that careful study, evaluation and imitation of classical Greek literature should be the basis of eloquence and rhetorical writing. In his rhetorical writings, Dionysius combines theories and methods from various language disciplines (rhetoric, grammar, philology, philosophy, metrical and musical theory) and he integrates them into a coherent and effective programme of rhetorical instruction. A close examination of Dionysius’ works increases our knowledge of the language theories that circulated in the Augustan period, from which only a few fragments of grammatical and philological texts have survived. On the other hand, it illuminates the important connections between different ancient language disciplines. Careful analysis of his ideas and methods shows us that Dionysius is a learned scholar, who studied a large number of literary and scholarly works from earlier times. He acquired an impressive knowledge of language theories and effectively integrated these theories into a practical programme of rhetoric. Show less
