The Art of Rhetoric in Alexandria: Its Theory and Practice in the Ancient World

178 Pages·1975·5.37 MB·English

by  Robert W. Smith (auth.)

THE ART OF RHETORIC IN ALEXANDRIA
ITS THEORY AND PRACTICE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD
THE ART OF RHETORIC
IN ALEXANDRIA
ITS THEORY AND PRACTICE
IN THE ANCIENT WORLD
by
ROBERT W. SMITH
Alma College
I I
MARTINUS NIJHOFF - THE HAGUE - 1974
© 1974 by Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands
Softcover reprint oft he hardcover 1st edition 1974
All rights reserved, including the right to translate or
to reproduce this book or parts thereof in any form
ISBN-J3: 978-90-247-5173-0 e-1SBN-J3: 978-94-010-1705-3
DOl: 10.1007/978-94-010-1705-3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface VII
Abbreviations XI
Chapter I: THE CROSS ROADS OF THE EAST 1
A Greek Outpost 2
Economic Problems 6
Cultural and Scientific Growth 8
The Alexandrian Canon 13
Chapter II: TEMPERAMENT AND AUDIENCES OF ALEXANDRIA 20
Ethnic Differences 20
Dion's Description of the Alexandrians 24
Persecution and Violence 28
Chapter III: SPOKESMEN FOR TRUTH: THE SECULAR SPEAKERS 37
Well-known Orators 38
The Boule 42
The Embassies 50
The Court Room 59
Chapter IV: SPOKESMEN FOR TRUTH (CONTINUED):
CHRISTIAN PREACHERS 73
The Early Church 74
Early Preaching 77
Origen and the Homily 88
Other Preachers 98
Athanasius 100
Chapter V: GREco-ROMAN EDUCATION 108
Elementary and Secondary Education 110
VI TABLE OF CONTENTS
Papyrological Clues to Education 115
Rhetorical Models 122
Sophists 130
Theoretical Treatises 132
The Catechetical School 140
Secular Teachers 147
Chapter VI: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 155
Demise of Rhetoric 156
In Retrospect 160
PREFACE
Goethe's great love for the ancient classics once prompted him
to write ("Gespriiche mit Eckerman," April 1, 1827), "Man studiere
nicht die Mitgeborenen und Mitstrebenden, sondern grosse Menschen
der Vorzeit, deren Werke seit Jahrhunderten gleichen Wert und
gleiches Ansehen behalten haben ... Man studiere Moliere, man
studiere Shakespeare, aber vor allen Dingen die alten Griechen und
immer die alten Griechen." Anyone examining the history of Western
ideas has found this statement to prove eminently true: one must
study above all others the ancient Greeks.
This book, by its study of the Greeks and others, seeks to fill
in a small way the large gap which has obtained in the history of
rhetoric in the Eastern Mediterranean area: the rhetoric (formal
spoken discourse) of the courtroom, street corner, classroom, and
legislative hall. Scholars have long investigated, and with considerable
success, the figures and movements in Rome and Athens until Con
stantine, or even later, but for some reason they have neglected the
role and impact of oratory in most Asian and North African centers
(Antioch excepted). If this monograph can provide outlines of its
activity in Greco-Roman Alexandria to approximately A.D. 400 and
encourage further scholarship in Pergamum, Tarsus, and elsewhere,
it will have fulfilled its purpose. At the same time, it is not intended
as a history of the city, nor an economic, political, or religious
account of its life. It seeks to focus on the rhetorical training and
practice for some seven hundred years in the Delta city which was
renowned for its literary accomplishments, and to subordinate other
matters to this one end.
In fulfilling this goal, my investigation has cut across a number
of fields common to rhetoric: library science, sociology, preaching,
law, education, and political speaking. In each case, however, I have
VIII PREFACE
sought to restrict the discussion rather severely so as not to impede
the general thrust dealing with the spoken word, nor unduly extend
myself into areas where I lacked the necessary background. The
literature dealing with these many facets of the one topic of Alexan
drian rhetoric is vast and scattered in numerous directions in journals,
papyri, and ostraca and printed in a half-dozen or more modem
languages. I have atteinpted to bring together those matters bearing
on the subject, and only when necessary touch on items in Egypt
at large.
Value judgements appear from time to time, not because my
personal opinion carries any particular weight, but because a writer
who has examined the facts is placed under some kind of obligation
not simply to narrate and profile the story, but to notice satisfactory
performance, or to suggest ways-albeit with hindsight-by which
the picture might have been drawn differently and perhaps better.
For the most part, however, I have contented myself with describing
the scene as either contemporaries or later scholars perceive it, or
as the papyri now suggest.
If one often observes qualifying statements such as "it appears,"
"it now seems," or "the papyrus suggests," he does so because
this is often as far as objectivity will permit us to go. Unlike the
European scene where the evidence for the teaching and practice
of rhetoric is much more complete, Alexandria with its ancient site
now below the water table simply will not permit the sweep of the
brush we should often like to give it. Perhaps, however, a century
from now the dimly-lit picture will be cast in brighter shadows.
By way of overview, one can note that Chapter I sets forth the
establishment of the city with its ethnic, economic, and educational
beginnings. In turn, the human diversity led to deep jealousy and
ultiinately to turmoil and pogroms of the worst sort (Chapter II)
involving all elements of the city. Out of these conditions secular
and religious spokesmen emerged in a variety of public speaking
situations (Chapters III & IV), but often, in view of the Alexandrian
temperament, with uncertainty as to their outcome. Chapter V charac
terizes the rhetorical instruction in the schools, examines speech
models and rhetorical fragments pertaining thereto, and concludes
with a proille of the status of teachers of the spoken word. A con
cluding chapter (VI) draws the parts together, offers some judgments
in retrospect, and indicates the causes of the eclipse of rhetoric as a
significant discipline within and without the classroom.
PREFACE IX
Only a brash author would attempt to publish a work without
the help of others who with their expertise make his job easier and
more trustworthy. Frederick W. Haberman's stimulating seminars
at the University of Wisconsin provided me with my first serious
introduction to the ancient theory of the spoken word. He taught
us to read the ancient authors themselves, rather than content our
selves with commentaries about them. Years later Ernest T. Thomp
son, now Professor Emeritus, of Union Theological Seminary (Rich
mond, Virginia) gave graciously of his time in trying to unravel
batHing problems in ancient preaching in Egypt. Samuel R. Cornelius,
formerly Dean of Alma College, encouraged me in countless ways
to bring the work to light. Then, Professor Erwin Seidl of the Institut
fUr romisches Recht, University of Cologne, graciously sent me his
copy of the hard-to-obtain doctoral dissertation of Herward Schmidt
cited elsewhere. Two helpful classicists, Messrs. Eric G. Turner,
Professor of Papyrology, University College, London, and John J.
Bateman, Department of Classics, University of Illinois at Urbana,
read the manuscript in its entirety and provided numerous suggestions
to prevent my wandering into erroneous pathways. If I failed to
follow their advice where profe rred, it was done only after due
reflection and great respect for their learning. The Old Dominion
Fund, University of Virginia, saw merit in this project and launched
me on the exciting excursion into ancient Alexandrian literature.
Finally, to the members of my family-Barbara and Kelvin who
continuously with their questions encouraged me to push on, and
to my wife, Margaret, whose keen eye spotted numerous grammatical
oddities and who sought to create ideal writing conditions in our
home during a pleasant sabbatical leave-to these I express my
deepest thanks and appreciation. If this volume on ancient rhetoric
succeeds in its original purpose, it will have been in large measure
due to others who made it a pleasant task.
R.W.S.
ABBREVIATIONS
The works cited below are repeatedly quoted in the following study,
hence are abbreviated to expedite their citation. All papyri are cited by
number in a particular collection. Expanded the works read as follows:
Archiv Archiv fur Papyrusforschung und Verwandte Ge
biete (by volume, year, and page)
AJP American Journal of Philology
BGU Aegyptische Urkunden aus den Koniglichen (Staat
lichen) Museen zu Berlin: Griechische Urkunden
(Berlin, 1895ff) (by number)
BSA Bulletin de la Societe Archeologique d' Alexandrie
Ch.d'Eg. Chronique d'Egypte
CPJ Corpus Papyrorum Judaicarum (Cambridge, Mass.,
1957ff)
CQ Classical Quarterly
JEA Journal of Egyptian Archeology
JHS Journal of Hellenic Studies
JJP Journal of Juristic Papyrology
JRS Journal of Roman Studies
Mnem. Mnemosyne
P. Ant Colin H. Roberts, J[ohn] W.B. Barns, and H[en
drik] Zilliacus, Antinoopolis Papyri, Pts. 1 & 2
(London, 1950 and 1960)
P. Athen G[eorgios] A. Petropulos, Papyri Societatis Archae
ologicae Atheniensis (Athens, 1939)
P. Berl Papyri der Staatlichen Museen Berlin ... (Berlin,
1899ff)
P. Brit Mus H.J.M. Milne, Catalogue of the Literary Papyri in
the British Museum (London, 1927)
P. Erl W[ilhelm] Schubart, Papyri der Universitiitsbiblio
thek Erlangen (Leipzig, 1942)
P. Giss O. Eger, Ernest Kornemann, and Paul M. Mayer,
Griechische Papyri im Museum des Oberhessischen
Geschichtsvereins zu Giessen (Leipzig and Berlin,
1910-12)
XII ABBREVIATIONS
P. Hamb (No editor), Griechische Papyri der Hamburger
Staats-und Universitiits-Bibliothek ... (Hamburg,
1954)
P. Harr J. E[noch] Powell, Rendel Harris Papyri of Wood
brooke College, Birmingham (Cambridge, 1936)
P. Hib B[ernard] P. Grenfell and A[rthur] S. Hunt, Hibeh
Papyri (London, 1906), Pt. 1
P.Lond F[rederic] G. Kenyon and H. I[dris] Bell, Greek
Papyri in the British Museum (London, 1893-1917)
P. Mich (Various editors), Papyri in the University of
Michigan Collection (Ann Arbor, 1931 and later)
P. Milan A[chille] Vogliano, Papiri della Regia Universita
di Milano (Milan, 1937), Vol. I; I[gnazio] Cazza
niga, et. al., Papiri della Universita degli Studi di
Milano (Milan, 1961), Vol. II
P.Oxy (Various editors), Oxyrhynchus Papyri (London,
1898ff)
P. Vindob (Boswinkel) E[rnst] Boswinkel, Einige Wiener Papyri (Leiden,
1942)
PSI (Various editors), Pubblicazioni della Societa Ita
tina: Papiri Greci e Latini (Florence, 1912 and
later)
PW Pauly-Wissowa, Real-Encyclopiidie der classichen
Altertumswissenschaft (Stuttgart, 1894ff)
(Citation by article)
SHA Scriptores Historiae Augustae (Loeb)
TAPA Transactions of the American Philological Asso
ciation (by volume)