Theophrastus · Fragments §65.1

Poetry, Rhetoric, and Speech Directed to the Audience

Passage 64 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Based on Theophrastus' definition, the passage presents the twofold relation of speech (toward the audience and toward the facts) and explains that poetry and rhetoric deal with the relation toward the audience.

§65.1Fr. 65 Διττῆς γὰρ οὔσης τῆς τοῦ λόγου σχέσεως, καθὰ διώρισεν ὁ φιλόσοφος Θ. τῆς τε πρὸς τοὺς ἀκροωμέα νους οἷς καὶ σημαίνει τι, καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὰ πράγματα ὑπὲρ ὧν ὁ λέγων πεῖσας προτίθεται τοὺς ἀκροωμένους, περὶ μὲν τὴν σχέσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἀκροατὰς καταγίνονται ποιητικὴ καὶ ῥητορική κ. τ. λ.

For since the relation of speech is twofold, as the philosopher Theophrastus defined—namely, the one toward the hearers, to whom it also signifies something, and the other toward the facts, about which the speaker, having persuaded them, purposes to direct the hearers—poetry and rhetoric are occupied with its relation toward the audience, etc.

Notes

Fr. 65ἀκροωμέα νους — The spelling ἀκροωμέα νους in the text is a scribal or typographical error for ἀκροωμένους, the present participle masculine plural accusative of the verb ἀκροάομαι (to hear).
Fr. 65προτίθεται τοὺς ἀκροωμένους — The middle-voice verb προτίθεμαι generally means 'to propose to oneself' or 'to aim at'. Here, accompanied by the preceding participle πεῖσας (having persuaded), it is used in the sense of intending to direct or lead the hearers to one's own purpose after winning them over.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §65.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:65.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.