The purpose of this wiki is to provide a listing of Greek rhetoric's "big ideas" (e.g., not the figures of speech; see Other Websites and Wikis for those websites). The idea is to annotate each term with commentary from ancient and more modern texts. If there are interesting conundrums about an idea/term, go ahead and expound and inquire. I've started the process (September 7, 2007) with the bare definitions and some categories. Have at it.

 

Functions or Qualities of Rhetoric

These are all on one page.

 

Agonistic rhetoric

Elenchic rhetoric

Irenic rhetoric

Ludic rhetoric

Protreptic rhetoric

 

 

Various Key Rhetorical/Philosophical Terms

 

 

Akroasis - listening, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

Amphibolos / ambiguity, equivocation

Anagke / ἀνάγκη / necessity

Anagnōsis - reading, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

Anaphora

Anaskeue - refutation

Antirrhesis - contradiction, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

Antithesis - figure of speech, contrast or opposition

Apate

Apologia

Arete / ἁρετή / virtue

 

Bia / βία / bodily strength, force

 

Chreia - saying, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

chuckpaine

 

Decorum/suitability, fitness

deinos (legein) / δεινὸς (λἑγειν) / clever, wondrous, terrible (speaker)

Diabolē - prejudicial attack or slander in a speech. "On Rhetoric" 3.15

Diatribe

Diēgēma - narrative or tale, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

Diegesis - the narration or narrative passages in a speech

Dissoi logoi

Dynamis / δὑναμις / potency, faculty, ability

 

Eidoi - a world of invisible forms. "Public Man, Private Woman" (20)

Eikon - image, an exercise in elaboration

Ekdosis

Ekphrasis - description, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

Elenkhos - refutation. "On Rhetoric" 3.17.14: "Refutations of the opponent are not a separate species but belong to proofs."

Enkōmion - encomium or invective, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

Epieikeia - fair-mindedness. "On Rhetoric" 1.2.4: "fair-mindedness on the part of the speaker makes no contribution to persuasivenss.

Epitaphios - funeral oration

Epizeuxis / repetition

Ethopoeia/character portrayal

Ethos / ἤθος /character

Eudokimounta

Exergasia - elaboration, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

 

Facilitas - the ability to produce appropriate language in any situation

 

Gnōmē - maxim or proverb

Gynaikeion: women's quarters: women's quarters

 

Hedoneἡ / ἡδονή / pleasure

Hetaerae

Homonoia - like-mindedness (political)

hypokrisis/ delivery

Hypotaxis/subordinating clauses, subjection

 

Idion - The Private; or, as per Aristotle, "specific"

 

Imitatio - imitation, the first part of practice in classical rhetorical education

Isegoria & Parrhesia / freedom of speech

 

Kairos / καιρὁς / timing, right time, rhetorical exigency, no simple English equivalent

Kallos - beauty

Kalokagathia- Goodness "Public Man, Private Woman" (50)

Kalon

Kataskeue - confirmation

Khreia - anecdote, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

Kosmos / κὁσμος / order, harmony

Krisis

 

Logistikon- the soul. "Public Man, Private Woman" (21)

Logographos - a hired writer of courtroom speeches

Logos / λόγος / speech, word, reasoneed account

 

Makhe- conflict, contradiction

Melete - literally "exercise," declamation, the third stage in classical rhetorical education

Muthos- fable, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

 

Nomos & Physis / νόμος & φύσισ / convention & nature (or nature of a thing); also law proposal, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

 

Oikos

Onkos

Orator

 

Parabole

Paradigma - inductive argument from example

Paraphrasis - paraphrase, changing elements of a speech or saying by adding, subtracting, or substitution; one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

Parataxis/syntactic democracy

Pathos / πἁθος / emotion, experience

Peitho / πειθώ / persuasion

Polis / city, state, public forum

Proairesis / deliberate choice or moral purpose, a decision made on the basis of character (ethos)

Progymnasmata - a collection of speaking and writing exercises; the second part of a classical rhetorical education

Prooimion / the proem, or exordium, or introduction of a speech

Pro ommaton poiein - "Bringing before the eyes"

Proposition

Prosōpopoiia - writing an appropriate speech for a given character in a given situation, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

Protos heuretes

Psogos

 

Sunkrisis - comparison, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

 

Tapinosis / to debase

Tautologia/self saying

Taxis / arrangement, esp. of the parts of speech in a conventional order

Tekmerion

Telos / τἑλος / end

Theoros

Thiasos

Topos - place, one of the exercises in the progymnasmata

 

Kinds of Knowing and Making in Rhetoric and Inquiry

 

Alitheia / ἀλήθεια / truth, reality

asteia/urbanities (notably polite or polished statements)

 

Didaskein / to teach (specifically as an act performed by the rhetor)

Doxa / δὁξα / opinion

 

Eikos / ἔικος / probable

Emperion / ἑμπειρία / experience (knack)

Endoxa / ἔνδοξος / repute, public opinion

energeia/ actualization of metaphoric phrases or similes (to make the phrase appear life-like)

Enthymeme, Enthumema / rhetorical syllogism, in which a premise or the conclusion is unexpressed

Epagoge / inductive argument

Epideiktikos - demonstrative speech

Epideixeis / public lecture

Epistēme / ἑπιστήμη / knowledge, science

eudokimounta/popular or well-like phrases

 

Hexis / ἕξις / active condition

 

Ideai / forms of speech

 

koinoi topoi/common topics (topics the rhetor might be expected to know)

 

Nous / νόος / intellect

 

Orthe-Doxa / Practical knowledge

 

Phronesis / φρὁνησις / practical wisdom, practical judgment

Pistis / πἱστις / proof, belief

 

Saphes

Sēmeia

Sophia / σοφία / wisdom

Syllogismos / syllogism, a deductive argument consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion

Sympheron

 

Topoi / commonplaces

Terpis / aesthetic pleasure, style

Techne / τἑχνη / art, craft, skilled making

Tribe / τριβή/ practice

 

Other Websites and Wikis

 

 

Works Cited

If you cite a source, please put it here in MLA format.