February 21,2012

The Fall of Rome and the Rise of Christianity

The “Long Decline” of Rome

The period of the Dictators/Caesars: Augustus, Tiberius, leading to civil wars and internal strife

The “Long Decline” of Rome

The period of the Dictators/Caesars: Augustus, Tiberius, leading to civil wars and internal strife

The gradual abolition of democratic bodies or stripping them of power— “once democratic procedures were eliminated, rhetoric decayed” (137)

The “Long Decline” of Rome

The period of the Dictators/Caesars: Augustus, Tiberius, leading to civil wars and internal strife

The gradual abolition of democratic bodies or stripping them of power— “once democratic procedures were eliminated, rhetoric decayed” (137)

The growing influence of Christianity

The “Long Decline” of Rome

The “Second Sophistic”The influence of knowledge

gained from Greek orators continues during this period (via esp. Cicero and Quintilian)

These orators were “often granted immunities and given honorary chairs” by emperors such as Vespasian (125); and Caligula (138)

The most famous speakers were “cultural conservatives and pagans” (125)

Limited to epideictic and forensic rhetoric, but little need for deliberative rhetoric

The Patristic EraEmphasis on preaching,

especially aiming at conversion

Attempts at fusing Christian theology with Platonic philosophy

Despite this, the ascension of Christianity caused a decline in the teaching of rhetoric; rhetoric is viewed with skepticism

The Augustinian Turn

The Augustinian TurnCalled for joining the use

of hermeneutics (interpretation of Scripture) and rhetoric

Altering the classical tradition, argued that the message was more important than the speaker

Argued for a correlation between eloquence and position, education and authority—in other words, ethos transcends rhetorical skill

The Influence of Cicero“Augustine’s love for

Cicero and for language motivated [Augustine’s] brilliant rescue of rhetoric from its condemnation as a product of paganism [ie. The Greeks]”

“Augustine’s reconstruction of Cicero involved designing rhetoric for Christian, rather than civil, uses”

The Influence of CiceroSubstituted

deliberative, epideictic, forensic forms for a single genre: preaching (148)

The Influence of CiceroCicero’s three styles used for particular audiences: 1) The grand style to

fascinate and please (and convince) non-believers;

2) The middle style to appeal to the will to condemn or praise

3) The plain style was used to instruct or prove

The Influence of PlatoVia the neoplatonists,

Augustine learned to “seek for a truth that was incorporeal”—in other words, to look, like Plato did, to the noumenal world as the source for Truth

However, Augustine ultimately dismissed the neoplatonists as mere “rhetoricians who lived for applause”( 149)

The Influence of PlatoAugustine’s reading of

Plato lead him to seek rhetoric “to dispel the illusions of this world and clarify the meaning of God” (149) –Plato probably wouldn’t have been happy to hear that

But to dispel illusions, we would need to read and interpret Scripture carefully and accurately!

The Influence of PlatoHence, his desire to

cultivate hermeneutics: the art of Biblical interpretation

This also leads to his emphasis on semiotics (the study of signs) and grammar

All of these skills are aiming to “dispel illusion” and uncover Truth: GOD.

The Influence of PlatoDue, in part, to

Augustine’s belief in a noumenal world, he sees that such a universal Truth “establishes universal standards that are not altered on the basis of such attributes as taste, race, or belief…” (151)

Think of what the author of Dissoi Logoi would say to that!

The Influence of JesusAugustine used

Biblical writings as his examples for rhetorical theory, with Jesus as his ideal orator:

Extemporaneous preaching

Aimed to make the unclear clear

An implied division of audiences:

The Influence of JesusThose with faithThose who don’t

share Jesus’ vision; dialectical discourse used

The multitudes, who are taught through the use of parables

Children, who need no preaching

The Fall of Rome and the Rise of Christianity

The Medieval Period

The “Two Camps” of Philosophers

The ScholasticsForward-lookingEmphasized logic (esp.

the syllogism)Generally, neoplatonicGenerally, placed

rhetoric beneath logic, thus reducing its importance

Aimed for clear, unambiguous language

The HumanistsFocus on the past—

retrieved ancient scholars to inform the present, including the ancient rhetoricians

Saw value in rhetoric

Thinkers that Encouraged Rhetoric

BoethiusCassiodorus SenatorAverroesAlcuinNotker LabeoRoger Bacon

Thinkers that Limited RhetoricBoethiusSulpitius VictorJohn ScotusIsidore, the

Archbishop of SevilleAverroesHugh of St. VictorThomas AquinasRoger Bacon

Letter WritingThe art of letter writing,

originating with Roman rhetoric is taken up by Christian church

A systematized way of composing a letter that emphasized ethos to establish goodwill and credibility in a reader

This also emphasized and spread the teaching of the art of written, rather than spoken, rhetoric

February 21,2012

The Fall of Rome and the Rise of Christianity