Demosthenes' speech
On the Crown (330 B.C.E.), in which the master orator spectacularly defended his public career, has long been recognized as a masterpiece. The speech has been in continuous circulation from Demosthenes' lifetime to the present day, and multiple generations have acclaimed it as the greatest speech ever written. In addition to a clear and accessible translation,
Demosthenes'"On the Crown" Rhetorical Perspectives includes eight essays that provide a thorough analysis--based on Aristotelian principles--of Demosthenes' superb rhetoric.
The volume includes biographical and historical background on Demosthenes and his political situation; a structural analysis of
On the Crown; and an abstract of Aeschines' speech
Against Ctesiphon to which Demosthenes was responding. Four essays by contributors analyze Demosthenes' speech using key elements of rhetoric defined by Aristotle:
ēthos, the speaker's character or authority;
pathos, or emotional appeals;
logos, or logical appeals; and
lexis, a speaker's style. An introduction and an epilogue by Murphy frame the speech and the rhetorical analysis of it.
By bringing together contextual material about Demosthenes and his speech with a translation and astute rhetorical analyses,
Demosthenes'"On the Crown" Rhetorical Perspectives highlights the oratorical artistry of Demosthenes and provides scholars and students with fresh insights into a landmark speech.
