The Dispute Concerning Rhetoric in Hellenistic Thought
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% © 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525252949 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647252940 Hypomnemata Untersuchungen zur Antike und zu ihrem Nachleben Herausgegeben von Albrecht Dihle, Siegmar Döpp, Dorothea Frede, Hans-Joachim Gehrke, Günther Patzig, Christoph Riedweg, Gisela Striker Band 185 Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht © 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525252949 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647252940 Yosef Z. Liebersohn The Dispute concerning Rhetoric in Hellenistic Thought Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht © 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525252949 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647252940 Verantwortliche Herausgeberin: Gisela Striker Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar ISBN 978-3-525-25294-9 Hypomnemata ISSN 0085-1671 Umschlagabbildung: Cluny (Burgund, Frankreich), ehemalige Benediktinerabtei. Die Rhetorik. Skulptur, um 1095/1115. Ausschnit aus einem Kapitell mit Personifikation der sieben freien Künste. Yvan Travert/akg-images. ’ 2010, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen / Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht LLC, Oakville, CT, U.S.A. www.v-r.de Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Das Werk und seine Teile sind urheberrechtlich geschützt. Jede Verwertung in anderen als den gesetzlich zugelassenen Fällen bedarf der vorherigen schriftlichen Einwilligung des Verlages. Hinweis zu § 52a UrhG: Weder das Werk noch seine Teile dürfen ohne vorherige schriftliche Einwilligung des Verlages öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden. Dies gilt auch bei der entsprechenden Nutzung für Lehr- und Unterrichtszwecke. Printed in Germany. Gesamtherstellung: L Hubert & Co, Göttingen Gedruckt auf alterungsbeständigem Papier. © 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525252949 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647252940 To John Glucker sub umbra illius, quem desideraveram, sedi; et fructus eius dulcis gutturi meo © 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525252949 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647252940 © 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525252949 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647252940 Preface This book has its origins in my doctoral thesis (2002) at Bar-Ilan University, Israel. Since then, developments in research on the art of rhetoric have required significant modifications to be made to my position prior to publication. Two studies above all have affected the subject matter, form, and conclusions of the present work. Winter- bottom and Reinhardt’s Quintilian: Institutio Oratoria Book 2 (2006) was for me an eye-opener. I am indebted to the authors for providing me with a copy of their type- script prior to publication. Their work on Quintilian, II, the second half of which is one of the main sources I discuss, obliged me to rewrite much of the book in light of their findings. The second study I should mention actually appeared before I had be- gun my thesis, but was unattainable at the time. This is an article by Jonathan Barnes, “Is Rhetoric an Art?” (1986). I am deeply grateful to Prof. Barnes for sending me a personal copy. The article deals mainly with Sextus Empiricus, but also looks at paral- lels in Quintilian and Philodemus, among others. I have gained most profit, however, from the astonishing originality of Barnes’ notes, as the reader will be able to discern. This book is not an easy read, and is not intended to be dipped into. The argu- ment is cumulative, and pays close attention to the sources; the reader would be well advised to have the sources at hand while reading the book. It is the complex char- acter of the sources themselves which has obliged this approach, and every effort has been made to facilitate reading within these strictures. A study of ancient rhetoric is particularly significant at a time when departments of rhetoric and media studies, not to mention advertising and public relations agen- cies, are increasingly commonplace. Unlike research on the debate over rhetoric in the Classical period, drawing on the extensive sources of Plato and Aristotle, there has been little discussion of the great debate over rhetoric in the Hellenistic period, primarily because of the difficult nature of the sources for this later debate. It is the aim of this book to rectify this omission. Many have aided me in bringing this book to publication, but I would like to thank two in particular. My great teacher and mentor, Prof. John Glucker, has accompanied me at almost every stage, from the preparation of the doctoral dissertation, and through many consultations during the writing of this book, he has given generously of his time and expertise. My thanks also go to my good friend Dr. Ivor Ludlam who read through the entire typescript with the eye of a true expert in the field of Hellenistic philosophy and made many important remarks. Finally, I would like to thank Bar-Ilan University, my home for over twenty years, and especially my colleagues in the departments of Philosophy, History and Classics who have always given me support and good advice. Yosef Z. Liebersohn Jerusalem, January 2010 © 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525252949 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647252940 © 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525252949 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647252940 Contents Preface ................................. 7 1. Introduction ............................ 13 1.1. Foreword ........................... 13 1.2. Methodology ......................... 14 1.3. A Survey of the Sources .................... 17 1.3.1. Cicero ......................... 17 1.3.2. Philodemus ....................... 18 1.3.3. Quintilian ........................ 19 1.3.4. Sextus Empiricus .................... 21 1.3.5. The Prolegomena Literature ............... 22 2. The Background to the Debate .................... 24 2.1. Preliminary Considerations ................... 24 2.2. The Philosophical Schools and Rhetoric ............. 28 2.2.1. The Epicureans ..................... 29 2.2.2. The Peripatetics ..................... 29 2.2.3. The Stoics ........................ 32 2.2.4. The Academics ..................... 36 2.3. The Historical Background ................... 38 2.4. Common Assumptions in the Secondary Literature ........ 47 2.4.1. Ludwig Radermacher .................. 47 2.4.2. Harry Hubbell ...................... 47 2.4.3. Leeman and Pinkster ................... 50 2.4.4. Jonathan Barnes ..................... 51 2.4.5. Reinhardt and Winterbottom ............... 51 2.5. The Present Study ....................... 53 3. The Exclusivity of Teaching Argument ................ 58 3.1. General Points ......................... 58 3.2. The Sources .......................... 58 3.3. The Testimony of Cicero .................... 59 © 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525252949 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647252940 10 Contents 3.3.1. The Arguments ..................... 59 3.3.2. The Target of the Arguments ............... 64 3.4. The Testimony of Sextus Empiricus ............... 66 3.4.1. The Arguments ..................... 66 3.4.2. The Target of the Arguments ............... 69 3.5. The Testimony of Quintilian .................. 70 3.5.1. The Arguments ..................... 71 3.5.2. The Target of the Arguments ............... 76 3.6. The Testimony of Philodemus .................. 78 3.6.1. The Arguments ..................... 78 3.6.2. The Target of the Arguments ............... 80 3.7. Conclusion .......................... 82 4. The Falsa Argument ........................ 84 4.1. General Points ......................... 84 4.2. The Sources .......................... 85 4.2.1. The Testimony of Quintilian ............... 85 4.2.2. The Testimony of Sextus Empiricus ............ 87 4.3. The Falsa Argument ...................... 90 4.3.1. The (Self)Deceiving Orator Argument ........... 90 4.3.2. The Rhetoric as Fraud Argument ............. 92 4.4. The Target of the Arguments .................. 93 4.5. Conclusion .......................... 94 5. The Benefit Argument ........................ 97 5.1. General Points ......................... 97 5.2. Quintilian and the Benefit Argument ............... 97 5.2.1. Quintilian, II. ch.16 (Description) ............. 98 5.2.2. Quintilian, II. ch.16 (Analysis) .............. 99 5.3. Sextus Empiricus and the Benefit Argument ........... 106 5.3.1. Sextus Empiricus, II. 20–47 ................ 107 5.3.2. The Expulsion Argument ................. 108 5.3.3. The General Harm Argument ............... 113 5.4. Kakotechnia .......................... 118 5.4.1. Sextus Empiricus, II. 12 ................. 118 5.4.2. Kakotechnia – sources .................. 120 5.5. Two Problems ......................... 125 5.5.1. pro falsis contra veritatem valere ............. 125 5.5.2. The Expulsion Argument in Critolaus’ Version ....... 126 © 2011, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525252949 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647252940 Contents 11 5.6. Conclusion .......................... 127 6. The End Argument ......................... 129 6.1. The Sources .......................... 129 6.2. Introduction to the End Argument ................ 132 6.3. The Exclusivity of Attaining the End Argument ......... 136 6.4. The Exclusivity of the End Argument .............. 144 6.4.1. Analysis of the Exclusivity of the End Argument ...... 145 6.4.2. Analysis of the