The Birthplace of Rhetoric: Ancient Greece Flashcards
(12 cards)
What defines the Classical Period of communication?
A time (~2,500 years ago in Greece/Sicily) when public speaking and persuasion were formally studied, emphasizing logic, emotion, and effective argumentation.
Who were the “Fantastic Four” of Classical Rhetoric?
Aspasia, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
Who was Aspasia of Miletus and why is she important?
Educated woman credited as the “mother of rhetoric”; taught Socrates, influenced Plato and Cicero.
Why is there little surviving work from women like Aspasia?
Women were excluded from education and public life; their contributions were rarely recorded or preserved.
What rhetorical method is associated with Socrates?
The dialectic method – using questions and answers to discover truth.
How did Plato view rhetoric?
Often critical; believed rhetoric not grounded in truth was manipulative (e.g., Gorgias).
What is Aristotle’s definition of rhetoric?
“The faculty of discovering the possible means of persuasion in reference to any subject whatever.”
What are Aristotle’s three artistic proofs?
Logos: Logic and reasoning
Ethos: Credibility of the speaker
Pathos: Emotional appeal
Who were the Sophists and what did they teach?
Early speech teachers like Corax and Tisias; taught persuasive techniques to succeed in courts and politics, often emphasizing kairos (situational truth).
What are Cicero’s Five Canons of Rhetoric?
Invention
Arrangement
Style
Memory
Delivery
What was Quintilian’s view of public speaking?
Public speaking is inherently moral: “a good man speaking well.”
Who was Pan Chao and what did she contribute?
China’s first female historian; advocated for women’s education and promoted modest, thoughtful speech in Lessons for Women.
