TIlE RHETORIC OF A STOIC POET (PERSIUS SATIRE 5)

  • J. C. Zietsman Stellenbosch University

Abstract

The narrative style in Persius Satire 5 produces a poem which is not so much a sermon, as a sermo or conversation. Persius' technique of using a quick exchange between poet! speaker and adversary/interlocutor (whether real or imaginary) is derived from the kind of philosophical discourse referred to as diatribe, a moral lecture focussing on a general issue and aiming at the improvement of mankind as a whole.2 The employment of this dramatic structure aids the development of the argument and theme of the satire by giving the question and answer process of thought in a form which is more accessible to the imagination of the recipient/audience.
Published
2014-03-30
How to Cite
Zietsman, J. C. (2014). TIlE RHETORIC OF A STOIC POET (PERSIUS SATIRE 5). Akroterion, 40(3-4). https://doi.org/10.7445/40-3-4-494
Section
Articles