Von Argos nach Athen: Von Manipulation zu Polis-Rhetorik zwischen Aischylos’ Agamemnon und Eumeniden
Abstract
This paper explores how the portrayal of Argos and Athens in Aeschylus’ Oresteia is closely linked with and reinforced by differing concepts of rhetoric in each place. Whilst in Argos characters deceive each other and all honest communication must fail, Athens stands for a fair and discursive way of communicating, as the play’s description of Argos and Athens shows. It is noteworthy that Athenian persuasion and Argive manipulation work similarly on a linguistic level, whilst semantically, Athenian rhetoric uses terms positively coined in the contemporary audience’s perception and therefore makes Orestes’ trial convincing. To question the view of this trial as a criticism of Athenian oratorical practice, arguments will be presented that in the Eumenides, Athenian rhetoric is a field of discourse in favour of the strongest and most apt performance, not only the strongest argument. One possible interpretation of this fact is the Athenian view that Argos needed Athens in the Argive alliance, not vice versa.
Abstract
This paper explores how the portrayal of Argos and Athens in Aeschylus’ Oresteia is closely linked with and reinforced by differing concepts of rhetoric in each place. Whilst in Argos characters deceive each other and all honest communication must fail, Athens stands for a fair and discursive way of communicating, as the play’s description of Argos and Athens shows. It is noteworthy that Athenian persuasion and Argive manipulation work similarly on a linguistic level, whilst semantically, Athenian rhetoric uses terms positively coined in the contemporary audience’s perception and therefore makes Orestes’ trial convincing. To question the view of this trial as a criticism of Athenian oratorical practice, arguments will be presented that in the Eumenides, Athenian rhetoric is a field of discourse in favour of the strongest and most apt performance, not only the strongest argument. One possible interpretation of this fact is the Athenian view that Argos needed Athens in the Argive alliance, not vice versa.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Inhalt V
- Einleitung: Städte und Stadtstaaten zwischen Mythos, Literatur und Propaganda 1
- Καδμεία νίκη: Politicising the ‘Seven against Thebes’ in the 5th century B.C. 11
- Athen, Athena und die Athener. Identifikationsfigur(en) und Narrative 29
- Von Argos nach Athen: Von Manipulation zu Polis-Rhetorik zwischen Aischylos’ Agamemnon und Eumeniden 75
- „Wer baute das siebentorige Theben?“ Breve riflessione sulle origini della colpa e della catastrofe 107
- Σοφίσματα θεῶν. Götterdämmerung, Kontingenzerfahrung und Kulturpessimismus in Euripides’ „Phönikierinnen“ 139
- La metamorfosi di Cadmo nelle Baccanti di Euripide e il punto di vista ateniese 163
- Phaedra between Homer and Sophocles: the Stesichorean connexion 181
- Plebs Argiva – Thebana iuventus – verendi Cecropidae. Die „kleinen Leute“ in Statius’ Thebais 191
- Triptolemos und Europa in Tarraco. Stadtdarstellung, Politik und mythische Züge in Florus’ Vergilius: orator an poeta? 223
- Der ‚Mythos Athen‘ im literarischen Diskursfeld fiktionaler Erzählprosa der Kaiserzeit. Lukian, Chariton und Heliodor 249
- Da indovino tebano a profeta universale. Alcune metamorfosi di Tiresia in età tardoantica 269
- Ethopoiie, Struktur und Mythopoiie in den profanen Epyllien des Nordafrikaners Dracontius 293
- Die Autorinnen und Autoren 337
- Index auctorum et operum 339
- Index nominum et rerum 345
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Inhalt V
- Einleitung: Städte und Stadtstaaten zwischen Mythos, Literatur und Propaganda 1
- Καδμεία νίκη: Politicising the ‘Seven against Thebes’ in the 5th century B.C. 11
- Athen, Athena und die Athener. Identifikationsfigur(en) und Narrative 29
- Von Argos nach Athen: Von Manipulation zu Polis-Rhetorik zwischen Aischylos’ Agamemnon und Eumeniden 75
- „Wer baute das siebentorige Theben?“ Breve riflessione sulle origini della colpa e della catastrofe 107
- Σοφίσματα θεῶν. Götterdämmerung, Kontingenzerfahrung und Kulturpessimismus in Euripides’ „Phönikierinnen“ 139
- La metamorfosi di Cadmo nelle Baccanti di Euripide e il punto di vista ateniese 163
- Phaedra between Homer and Sophocles: the Stesichorean connexion 181
- Plebs Argiva – Thebana iuventus – verendi Cecropidae. Die „kleinen Leute“ in Statius’ Thebais 191
- Triptolemos und Europa in Tarraco. Stadtdarstellung, Politik und mythische Züge in Florus’ Vergilius: orator an poeta? 223
- Der ‚Mythos Athen‘ im literarischen Diskursfeld fiktionaler Erzählprosa der Kaiserzeit. Lukian, Chariton und Heliodor 249
- Da indovino tebano a profeta universale. Alcune metamorfosi di Tiresia in età tardoantica 269
- Ethopoiie, Struktur und Mythopoiie in den profanen Epyllien des Nordafrikaners Dracontius 293
- Die Autorinnen und Autoren 337
- Index auctorum et operum 339
- Index nominum et rerum 345
