French Literature Reviews - 2026
W. Stroh, La puissance du discours. Une petite histoire de la rhétorique dans la Grèce et la Rome antiques
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics
Wilfried Stroh, La puissance du discours. Une petite histoire de la rhétorique dans la Grèce et la Rome antiques.
Paris: Les Belles Lettres, coll. "Le miroir des humanistes", 2010.
352 p.
Price: 25EUR.
EAN: 9782251346045.
Published September 16, 2010
Publisher's overview:
"The great orator is no longer among the idols of our era," began an essay on Cicero (106–43 BC) published only a few years ago. Today's newspaper reader holds a different view. The power of the spoken word has never been more evident than it is today. "Whoever appreciates Cicero can consider themselves to have made progress," as the master of rhetoric Quintilian (1st century AD) so aptly put it.
Yet Cicero himself, even at his finest, is indebted to the Greeks. And it is precisely what has endured through the ages, what still holds true today, that is at issue here. The purpose of this book is not to defend rhetoric once again against its detractors, nor even to sing its praises in elaborately contrived ways, as Gorgias (5th century BC) did for the frivolous Helen. Rather, the goal is to show, through the examples of the Greeks and Romans, all that the art of eloquence accomplished in its golden age, how it was conceptualized in order to be taught, and what profound significance this art of oratory has had for our culture.
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An article on this work can be read on the nonfiction.fr website:
The study of rhetoric occupies a central place in classical philology and the history of ideas, bridging ancient civic institutions and the evolution of persuasive discourse in Western education. From the early sophists to the golden age of classical oratory, the art of persuasion shaped public life, legal argumentation, and literary composition across the Mediterranean world. Figures such as Gorgias, Cicero, and Quintilian helped formalize these techniques into structured systems of thought and instruction that would influence intellectual traditions for centuries to come.
Wilfried Stroh examines the historical development of eloquence in antiquity, tracing how rhetorical theory was conceptualized and taught through the notable examples of Greek and Roman writers. The volume highlights the enduring significance of classical oratory and its impact on cultural traditions, without attempting to offer a formal defense or a technical manual of rhetoric. Readers interested in the history of classical antiquity and the evolution of persuasive discourse may find this overview relevant.
"The Art of Eloquence: Back to the Sources", by Ph. Rousselot.