Greek 439/539: Readings in Greek Oratory (Demosthenes)


*Note: This is an old document. Many of the links are broken.*


Instructor:

John Bauschatz

Time/Location: M/W, 4:30-5:45; Psychology 309
Contact Info:

Office: Learning Services Building 215
Phone: (520) 621-7422 (office)
email: jbausch1@email.arizona.edu


OVERVIEW

In this course we will read the oration widely considered in antiquity (and later) as Demosthenes' masterpiece: On the Crown. We will read all (or at least the majority) of the speech in the original Greek, but we will also read extensively from other ancient sources (among these Aeschines, Isocrates and Plutarch) in translation and a broad range of modern scholarship to illuminate the social, historical, cultural and religious aspects of the speech and Athens in the later 4th century B.C.


GOALS

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

  • Discuss the social/political climate of Athens in the later fourth century B.C. and the pressures it felt both from without and within, as well as from its own distinguished history.
  • Trace the the careers of Aeschines and Demosthenes and their interactions with each other and the Macedonians.
  • List some of the characteristics of the foreign policy of Philip II of Macedon and his son, Alexander.
  • Describe Demosthenes' style: his word-choice, rhythm, organization, syntactic and grammatical peculiarities and favorite themes.
  • Navigate the Athenian legal system: its courts, procedures and customs.
  • Assess the importance of oratory and rhetoric in Classical and Hellenistic Greece and trace the changes undergone by both in later antiquity.

PREREQUISITES

For undergraduates (Greek 439), the prerequisites are satisfaction of the mid-career writing assessment (MCWA) and successful completion of Greek 202; for graduate students (Greek 539), the prerequisites are three units of 400-level Greek.


READINGS

The required text is the following:

  • Demosthenes, On the Crown. H. Yunis, ed. Cambridge UP, 2001.

The following texts are recommended:

  • H. G. Liddell and R. Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. 7th edition. Oxford UP, 1959.
  • H. W. Smyth, Greek Grammar. Revised edition. Harvard UP, 1983.

All three texts should be available in the bookstore, but used copies may be available for less elsewhere: amazon - Barnes & Noble - abe Books.

There are a number of additional readings for this course, all of which will be available electronically: see the course schedule (below) for details.


RESEARCH

The following texts may prove useful in navigating Demosthenes and his work. They can be found in the main library (where noted). All non-Reference library books will be placed on reserve.

Editions and Commentaries

  • M. R. Dilts, ed. 2002. Demosthenis Orationes. Vol. 1. New York: Oxford UP.
  • H. Yunis, ed. 2001. Demosthenes, On the Crown. Cambridge UP. (PA3950 .C6 2001)
  • C. Fuhr, ed. 1994. Demosthenis orationes. Vol. 1, parts 1–3. Stuttgart and Leipzig: Teubner.
  • S. Usher, ed. 1993. Demosthenes: On the Crown (De Corona). Warminster, England: Aris & Phillips. (PA3950 .C6 1993)
  • G. Mathieu, ed. 1958. Démosthène: Plaidoyers politiques. Vol. 4. Paris: Belles Lettres.
  • F. P. Donnelly, ed. 1941. The Oration of Demosthenes On the Crown. A Rhetorical Commentary. New York: Fordham UP.
  • C. A. Vince and J. H. Vince, eds. 1926. Demosthenes. Vol. 2: De corona and de falsa legatione. Loeb Classical Library. London: Heinemann. (PA3949 .A2 1926)
  • W. W. Goodwin, ed. 1901. Demosthenes, On the Crown. Cambridge. (PA3950 .C6 1957; 885.6 P45)

  • Translations
  • H. Yunis, trans. 2005. Demosthenes, Speeches 18 and 19. Oratory of Classical Greece 9. Austin: U of Texas P. (PA3951 .E5 2005)
  • W. R. Connor, trans. 1966. Greek Orations. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P. (885.08 C752)
  • M. W. Humphreys, trans. 1913. Demosthenes On the Crown. New York: American Book Co.
  • A. W. Pickard-Cambridge, trans. 1912. The Public Orations of Demosthenes. Vol. 2. Oxford: Clarendon. (885.6 D38a)

Other Orators (in translation): Aeschines, Dinarchus, Hyperides, Isocrates

  • T. L. Papillon, trans. 2004. Isocrates. Vol. 2. Austin: U of Texas P. (electronic book)
  • I. Worthington, C. Cooper and E. Harris, trans. 2001. Dinarchus, Hyperides, and Lycurgus. Austin: U of Texas P. (PA3633 .D56 2001)
  • C. Carey, trans. 2000. Aeschines. Austin: U of Texas P. (PA3823 .A36 2000)
  • D. Mirhady and Y. L. Too, trans. 2000. Isocrates. Vol. 1. Austin: U of Texas P. (PA4217.E5 M57 2000)
  • I. Worthington, trans. 1999. Dinarchus and Hyperides. Warmninster: Aris & Phillips. (PA3965.D18 W6 1999)
  • C. D. Adams, trans. 1919. The Speeches of Aeschines. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP. (PA3823 .A2 1919 c. 2)

Primary (Historical) Sources for Philip II and Alexander (in translation)

  • A. H. Clough and J. Dryden, trans. 2000. Plutarch's Lives. 2 Vols. New York: Modern Library. (electronic book)
  • J. C. Yardley, trans. 1997. Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus. Oxford and New York: Clarendon.
  • –––, trans. 1994. Justin. Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus. Atlanta: Scholars Press.
  • I. Scott-Kilvert, trans. 1973. Plutarch. The Age of Alexander: Nine Greek Lives. Harmondsworth: Penguin. (DF208 .P5513 1973)
  • R. Warner, trans. 1966. Xenophon: A History of My Times. Harmondsworth: Penguin. (DF231 .X4 1966a)
  • C. Oldfather, C. Sherman, C. Welles, R. Geer and F. Walton, trans. 1933–1967. Diodorus Siculus. Bibliotheca historica. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP. (PA3965 .D3 v. 1–10)
  • C. L. Brownson, trans. 1918–1921. Xenophon: Hellenica. 2 Vols. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP. (PA4494 .H3 1918  v.1; PA4494 .H4 1921)
Studies on Demosthenes and His Time
  • M. A. Flower. 1994. Theopompus of Chios: History and Rhetoric in the Fourth Century B.C. Oxford: Clarendon. (DE9.T54 F56 1994)
  • N. G. L. Hammond. 1994. Philip of Macedon. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP. (DF233.8.P59 H35 1994)
  • M. H. Hansen. 1991. The Athenian Democracy in the Age of Demosthenes: Structure, Principles and Ideology. Trans. J. A. Crook. Oxford and Cambridge: Blackwell. (JC79.A8 H33 1991)
  • –––. 1987. The Athenian Assembly in the Age of Demosthenes. Oxford and New York: Blackwell. (JC79.A8 H34 1987)
  • E. M. Harris. 1995. Aeschines and Athenian Politics. New York: Oxford UP. (DF233.2 .H37 1995)
  • W. Jaeger. 1938. Demosthenes. The Origin and Growth of his Policy. Berkeley: U of California P. (885.6Z J22)
  • H. Montgomery. 1983. The Way to Chaeronea: Foreign Policy, Decision-Making and Political Influence in Demosthenes' Speeches. Irvington-on-Hudson, N.Y.: Columbia UP. (JC75.I5 M65 1983)
  • A. W. Pickard-Cambridge. 1914. Demosthenes and the Last Days of Greek Freedom, 384–322 B.C. New York: Putnam's. (DF233 .P6 1979)
  • R. Sealey. 1993. Demosthenes and His Time: A Study in Defeat. New York: Oxford UP. (DF277 .S315 1993)
  • I. Worthington. 2000. Demosthenes: Statesman and Orator. London and New York: Routledge. (PA3952 .D68 2000)
Studies on Demosthenes and His Works
  • C. D. Adams. 1927. Demosthenes and his Influence. New York: Longmans, Green and Co. (885.6Z A21)
  • C. A. Gibson. 2002. Interpreting a Classic: Demosthenes and his Ancient Commentators. Berkeley: U of California P. (PA3952 .G53 2002)
  • P. Harding. 2006. Didymos on Demosthenes. Introduction, Text, Translation and Commentary. Oxford UP.
  • L. Pearson. 1976. The Art of Demosthenes. Meisenheim am Glan: A. Hain.

Works on Greek Oratory

  • D. L. Cairns and R. A. Knox, eds. 2004. Law, Rhetoric and Comedy in Classical Athens: Essays in Honour of Douglas M. MacDowell. Oakville, CT: David Brown Book Co. (DF275 .L39 2004)
  • J. Fredal. 2006. Rhetorical Action in Ancient Athens: Persuasive Artistry from Solon to Demosthenes. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP. (PA3265 .F74 2006)
  • S. Goldhill and R. Osborne, eds. 1999. Performance Culture and Athenian Democracy. Cambridge, UK and New York: Cambridge UP. (DF275 .P47 1999)
  • T. N. Habinek. 2005. Ancient Rhetoric and Oratory. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
  • C. L. Johnstone, ed. 1996. Theory, Text, Context: Issues in Greek Rhetoric and Oratory. Albany: State U of New York P. (PA3263 .T48 1996)
  • G. A. Kennedy. 1994. A New History of Classical Rhetoric. Princeton UP. ( PA3038 .K46 1994)
  • –––. 1999. Classical Rhetoric & its Christian & Secular Tradition from Ancient to Modern Times. 2nd ed. U of North Carolina P. (PN183 .K4 1999)
  • E. Schiappa. 1999. The Beginnings of Rhetorical Theory in Classical Greece. Yale UP. (PA401 .S24 1999)
  • O. Swartz. 1998. The Rise of Rhetoric and its Intersections with Contemporary Critical Thought. Boulder, CO: Westview. (P301 .S935 1998)
  • S. Usher. 1999. Greek Oratory: Tradition and Originality. Oxford and New York: Oxford UP. (PA3263 .U84 1999)
  • K. E. Welch. 1999. Electric Rhetoric: Classical Rhetoric, Oralism and a New Literacy. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. (P301.5.D37 W45 1999)
  • C. W. Wooten. 2001. The Orator in Action and Theory in Greece and Rome. Leiden and Boston: Brill. (PA3038 .O73 2001)
  • I. Worthington, ed. 1994. Persuasion: Greek Rhetoric in Action. London and New York: Routledge. (PA3074 .P47 1994)
  • H. Yunis. 1996. Taming Democracy: Models of Political Rhetoric in Classical Athens. Ithaca: Cornell UP. (DF82 .Y86 1996)

General Tools for Classicists

  • L. Adkins and R. A. Adkins. 2005. A Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece. Updated ed. New York: Facts on File. (DF77 .A35 2005)
  • M. Grant and R. Kitzinger, eds. 1988. Civilization of the Ancient Mediterranean. Greece and Rome. 3 vols. New York: Scribner. (DE59 .C55 1988 v. 1–3)
  • S. Hornblower and A. Spawforth, eds. 1996. The Oxford Classical Dictionary. 3rd ed. Oxford and New York: Oxford UP. (Reference: DE5 .O9 1996)
  • T. J. Luce, ed. 1982. Ancient Writers: Greece and Rome. 2 Vols. New York: Scribner. (Reference: PA3002 .A5 1982 v. 1–2)
  • Various editors. 1970–2005. The Cambridge Ancient History. 3rd ed. Vols. 1–14. London: Cambridge UP. (D57 .C252; *NOT on reserve*)
  • Various editors. Loeb Classical Library. (Translations of most major works by ancient Greek and Roman authors. Greek works are green; Latin works red. Copies of most authors are available in the main library: search by author or title.)

GRADING

Grading for the course will be based on the following breakdown:

  • Attendance/Participation (30%): How often you come to class and how enthusiastically you participate in class discussions. I will not take attendance, but I will keep an eye out for regular absences and reserve the right to arbitrarily deduct points from those who choose to cut. (Your grade on the map quiz [8/29] will be factored in here.)

  • Presentation (5% for Greek 502 students): Each student enrolled in Greek 539 will give a 5–10-minute presentation on a subject connected with our readings in Demosthenes at some point in the semester. These presentations are informal and designed primarily to provide background information on a text, author or phenomenon. Presentations will begin on Wednesday, September 5. A schedule of presentations and presenters will be distributed in class during the first two weeks of the semester.
  • Hour Exams (10% each, 30% total): There will be three hour exams in this course. The first will occur on Wednesday, September 26; the second on Wednesday, October 31; the third on Wednesday, December 12 (from 5:00–5:50 p.m.; this last hour exam will take the place of our final exam). Each of the exams will focus primarily on translating a specified portion of the speech (outlined in class) but also on providing grammatical, syntactic, oratorical and general commentary. Students enrolled in Greek 539 may be required to write a longer exam than those enrolled in 439. Do not miss the exams.
  • Long Paper (35% for Greek 539 students, 40% for Greek 439 students): In lieu of a substantial final exam, students will select a topic of their own choosing and write a final paper. This paper should be either A.) a traditional term paper or B.) a commentary on a section of On the Crown. Guidelines for the style, length and content of each type of paper are available here. A list of ideas for potential final paper topics can be found here. Information on the formatting of the final paper can be found in the Classics Department's Style Sheet for Graduate Seminar Papers and Theses. When the final paper is handed in, it should include a completed copy of the Department's Checklist for Submitting Final Papers. Those students doing presentations in conjunction with their final papers (see the guidelines for more information on this) should consult the Department's Handout on Handouts and PowerPoint Presentations. The long paper is due by 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 15. No late papers will be accepted.

OTHER INFO

Surprise! Cheating is not allowed. If you cheat, and I find out, you will receive a grade of 0 for the assignment and other bad things will happen. (See the U of A's code of academic integrity.)

Office hours will be held whenever I am in my office. One can generally find me there between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., M–F. (A more detailed breakdown of when I will be available will be posted outside my office door.) You are also welcome and encouraged to make an appointment to meet with me. Call, email or holler.


COURSE SCHEDULE

What follows is a sketch outline of the Fall semester. Nightly reading assignments are due on the dates specified.

Some of the reading assignments are pdf files. To view/download them, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download available here).

Check this page often. Readings and assignments are subject to change. I'll try to give a heads-up in class if a major shake-up is imminent. I'll also try to have readings posted at least a week before the due date.


Week Monday Wednesday
1

8/20 Introductions

RECEIVE: course schedule

IN CLASS: discuss course schedule, policies; read Heliastic Oath in Greek (Demosthenes 21 [Against Timarchus], 149–151)

8/22 Greek Oratory: A Primer

READ: Yunis, Introduction to On the Crown (pp1–33 of your text); On the Crown 1–9

MEMORIZE: map of Greece, Macedon and the Aegean (p. xiii of your text) for map quiz on 8/29

IN CLASS: circumstances of the case; structure of a speech; history/character of Greek oratory

2

8/27 Greece in the Fourth Century, Part 1: Philip II

READ: On the Crown 10–22; Pomeroy, et al., Ancient Greece. A Political, Social, and Cultural History, chapters 9 (pp330–353) and 10 (pp371–394)

MEMORIZE: map of Greece, Macedon and the Aegean (p. xiii of your text) for map quiz on 8/29

IN CLASS: circumstances of the case; Philip II of Macedon and Demosthenes

8/29 Greece in the Fourth Century, Part 2: Alexander

READ: On the Crown 23–30; Pomeroy, et al., Ancient Greece. A Political, Social, and Cultural History, chapter 11 (pp395–415)

IN CLASS: map quiz on map of Greece, Macedon and the Aegean (p. xiii of your text); Alexander

3 9/3 Labor Day - no class

9/5 Greek Poleis in the Fourth Century, Part 1: Thebes

READ: On the Crown 31–45; Zeitlin, "Thebes: Theater of Self and Society in Athenian Drama," pp101–141 of Euben, Greek Tragedy and Political Theory

PRESENTER: Greek tragedians and tragedies

IN CLASS: Thebes

4

9/10 Greek Poleis in the Fourth Century, Part 2: Athens

READ: On the Crown 46–62; Aristotle, Constitution of the Athenians (xlii–lxix [pp183–207]) with (optional) commentary (pp274–310)

PRESENTER: Aristotle and his works

IN CLASS: Athenian democracy in the fourth century

9/12 Demosthenes' Political Career

READ: On the Crown 63–71; Plutarch, Life of Demosthenes: introduction (pp12–17) and text (pp188–217)

PRESENTER: Plutarch and his works

IN CLASS: Demosthenes' political career

5

9/17 Isocrates and the Great Macedonian Hope

READ: On the Crown 72–89; Isocrates 5: introduction (pp3–13, 15–19) and speech (pp74–108)

PRESENTER: Isocrates and his works

IN CLASS: Isocrates and Athens' glorious past

9/19 Greek Poleis in the Fourth Century, Part 3: Sparta

READ: On the Crown 90–98; Xenophon, Politeia of the Spartans: introduction (pp67–73) text (pp75–92) and (optional) commentary (pp93–123)

PRESENTER: Xenophon and his works

IN CLASS: Sparta

6

9/24 Aeschines and Demosthenes: BFF?

READ: On the Crown 99–111; Aeschines 3, introduction (pp3–17)

IN CLASS: Aeschines' life and career

9/26 Hour Exam #1

7

10/1 On the Crown: the Aeschines Version (Part 1)

READ: On the Crown 112–127; Aeschines 3 (pp159–210)

IN CLASS: Aeschines 3; the dokimasia

10/3 On the Crown: the Aeschines Version (Part 2)

READ: On the Crown 128–135; Aeschines 3 (pp211–251)

IN CLASS: Aeschines 3; slander

8

10/8 Sykophants

READ: On the Crown 136–148; Osborne, "Vexatious litigation in classical Athens: sykophancy and the sykophant" (pp83–102) and/or Harvey, "The sykophant and sykophancy: vexatious redefinition?" (pp103–121), chapter 5 of Cartledge, Millett and Todd, NOMOS: Essays in Athenian law, politics and society

PRESENTER: Greek comedy and comedians

IN CLASS: sykophants

10/10 Patriots and Traitors

READ: On the Crown 149–158; Chroust, "Treason and Patriotism in Ancient Greece," JHI 15 (1954): 280–288

IN CLASS: traitors and patriotism

PRESENTER: The Delian League

9

10/15 Bribery

READ: On the Crown 159–175; Taylor, "Bribery in Athenian Politics Part I: Accusations, Allegations, and Slander," G&R 48 (2nd ser.) (2001): 53–66

PRESENTER: the Second Athenian Confederacy

IN CLASS: bribery

10/17 The Attic Orators

READ: On the Crown 176–190; Kennedy, "The Attic Orators," chapter 4 (pp64–80) of A New History of Classical Rhetoric

PRESENTER: the Second Sophistic

IN CLASS: The Attic Orators

10

10/22 Demosthenes' Commentators

READ: On the Crown 191–203; Gibson, Introduction (pp1–9) and chapter 1, "Form and Transmission" (pp13–25), of Interpreting a Classic: Demosthenes and his Ancient Commentators

PRESENTER: Didymus and his works

IN CLASS: Gibson

10/24 Demosthenes' Reputation in Antiquity

READ: On the Crown 204–211; Cooper, "Philosophers, Politics, Academics: Demosthenes' rhetorical reputation in antiquity," chapter 8 (pp224–245) of Worthington, Demosthenes: Statesman and Orator

PRESENTER: Cicero and his works

IN CLASS: Cooper

11

10/29 Demosthenes' Reputation in the Postclassical World

READ: On the Crown 212–223; Harding, "Demosthenes in the Underworld: A chapter in the Nachleben of a rhêtôr," chapter 9 (pp246–271) of Worthington, Demosthenes: Statesman and Orator

IN CLASS: Harding

10/31 Hour Exam #2

 

12

11/5 Macedonia in the 4th Century: Snapshot of a Society

READ: On the Crown 224–238; Hamilton, "The Hellenistic World," chapter 7 (pp163–191) of Raaflaub and Rosenstein, War and Society in the Ancient and Medieval Worlds: Asia, The Mediterranean, Europe, and Mesoamerica

IN CLASS: Macedonia: a snapshot; armies and warfare in the late 4th century

11/7 Politicians and Rhetors

READ: On the Crown 239–247; Worthington, "Rhetoric and Politics in Classical Greece: Rise of the Rhêtores," chapter 17 (pp255–271) of Worthington, A Companion to Greek Rhetoric

IN CLASS: the job of a politician

13 11/12 Veterans Day - no class

11/14 Mystery Cults

READ: On the Crown 248–260; Burkert, Introduction (pp1–11) and chapter 1, "Personal Needs" (pp12–29), of Ancient Mystery Cults

PRESENTER: Greco-Roman mythology and state religion

IN CLASS: fortune, Aeschines' career, mystery cults

14

11/19 Actors

READ: On the Crown 261–275; Easterling, "Actors and voices: reading between the lines in Aeschines and Demosthenes," chapter 6 (pp154–166) of Goldhill and Osborne, Performance culture and Athenian democracy

IN CLASS: Aeschines' career, actors

11/21 Lawyers

READ: On the Crown 276–285; Mirhady, "Demosthenes as Advocate: The private speeches," chapter 6 of Worthington, Demosthenes: Statesman and orator

PRESENTER: Demosthenes' public speeches

IN CLASS: Demosthenes' private speeches

15

11/26 Demosthenes' Funeral Oration

READ: On the Crown 286–296; Demosthenes 60 (pp8–17, 21–37)

IN CLASS: Demosthenes' funeral oration, funeral orations: the genre

11/28 Demosthenes' Downfall?

READ: On the Crown 297–305; Dinarchus 1 (pp3–44); Hyperides 5 (pp61–68, 115–127)

IN CLASS: Demosthenes' crimes (?) at the end of his life

16

12/3 Paper Presentations

READ: On the Crown 306–319

IN CLASS: presentations

12/5 Paper Presentations

READ: On the Crown 320–324

IN CLASS: presentations

17 12/10 Final Exams - no class

12/12 Hour Exam #3 (5:00–7:00 p.m.)

*Note: The exam will be the same length as the first two exams, but you will have the full final exam period to complete it, if necessary.*

***Long paper due by 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 15***

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