GRK 231/331: Greek Oratory

Ἀπονομή; Courtroom Project

Due Dates: Presentations October 22 & 24 Papers November 21 Notify Prof. Walker of your chosen speech by: October 3

Purpose: In this class, we have been (and will continue) discussing the notions of “gender” and “rhetoric” in two speeches by the . Lysias, however, is just one of ten logographoi whose speeches written for the Athenian courtroom have been preserved for over two millennia. For this assignment, you will analyze one speech from the corpus of the Attic that we will not be reading in class, in order to see the varying techniques and patterns of rhetoric, as well as the different ways ideas of gender could be deployed, manipulated, and exploited before an Athenian jury.

Assignment: This assignment consists of 1) a 20 minute in-class presentation and 2) a creative paper. For the in-class presentation, you will present your chosen speech to the class with a prepared PowerPoint and handout. You will also turn-in a short write up of your presentation. For the creative paper, you will write (in English) the corresponding defense or prosecution speech responding to or setting up the arguments laid out in the speech you presented.

Here are some suggestions of speeches to consider: , Against the Stepmother; , Against Timarchus; Apollodorus, Against Stephanus; 6; Isaeus 8; Lysias, Against Diogeiton

Grading Criteria: As Socrates says, rhetoric is the art of enchanting someone through words, both in the lawcourts and public assemblies, and at home (Phaedrus 261a). A good classroom presentation should likewise delight your audience, while imparting clear, convincing, and factually accurate information. The presentation will be graded according to a rubric that assesses your work on the basis of: • Communication of correct information • Eye contact, appropriate volume and speed, body and facial gestures that reinforce the message • Articulate and compelling thesis • Organization and clear structure that highlights main ideas • Main points supported with accurate and engaging information • Material effectively adapted to the audience’s understanding of the topic

Your paper will likewise be graded on a rubric that assesses your work on the basis of: • An argumentative, clear, and concise thesis that responds accurately to your chosen speech • An apparent and understandable structure that reflects the typical structure of the Attic orators • Careful and precise use of evidence to support your argument drawn from both your chosen speech and your own research GRK 231/331: Greek Oratory

• Conflicting evidence and counter-arguments are subtly and consistently acknowledged and accounted for • Appropriate use of rhetorical techniques common to the Attic orators • Errors of style (grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, phrasing) are few and minor • Citations and footnotes are used when needed; footnotes and bibliography use consistent and appropriate form

Conceptual Guidelines: To get started, read through a couple of speeches (in English) and make your selection. You do not have to choose one of the recommended speeches, though you have to clear your choice with me before you move on. After you have chosen your speech, read through it again. What is the situation? Is this a defense speech or a prosecution speech? Is this a dike or a graphe? What are the major points of contention? Break the speech down into the 4-part structure of an Attic speech: prologue, narrative, proofs, conclusion. Analyze each section: • How does the speaker present himself to the jurors? • Look through the list of rhetorical techniques online (link in Resources). What rhetorical techniques is he deploying? • Look at certain sections in the original Greek to see if there is particularly interesting wordplay. • How does the speaker present the story? • How might the speaker be manipulating the story? • How might this situation be viewed from the opposite perspective? • What laws does the speaker cite? • How does the speaker use witness testimony?

As you think about and begin to answer some of these questions, gather at least 2 scholarly articles (or book chapters) or a commentary on or related to your speech (If you are having trouble or if you aren’t sure your sources count as “scholarly,” contact me ASAP.). Look through some of the general works on Attic and Greek oratory and gender in ancient Greece on Reserve in Shain. My primary focus in grading the presentation and paper will be your analysis of the speech and as such broad secondary research is not required. However, I encourage you to do some general secondary reading to help support your analysis and arguments.

Technical Guidelines: • Your presentation should be 20 minutes. You should have a PowerPoint with a corresponding handout that outlines the situation, characters, main arguments, main rhetorical techniques, and laws. Provide at least one sentence in the original Greek to read with the class. Your presentation may include a summary of scholarly interpretations of the speech. Immediately after your presentation, you should hand-in a short (2-4 page) write-up of your presentation. • Your paper should have a clear argument and support this argument with evidence drawn from your speech or supported by your secondary research. It should follow the typical structure of an Attic courtroom speech and deploy at least 2 recognizable rhetorical strategies drawn from the list of strategies online (see Resources on the website). Your paper should be 4-6 pages. It should be written in a 12-point font standard for paper writing (Times New Roman, Century, or Calibri, or something similar), and should be double spaced. Letter-size paper, 1-inch margins. In the event that you cite sources, please include a bibliography using your chosen method of citation (just be consistent!).