Antony of Tagrit and the progymnasmata: Towards a Syriac rhetorical theory in the Abbasid Era

Nicosia, Mara

Abstract

This paper investigates the engagement with Greek progymnasmata exercises shown by the first rhetorical handbook in Syriac: Antony of Tagrit’s On Rhetoric (ninth century). Despite lacking any specific reference to progymnastic authors or texts and having its own peculiarities and foundations, the rhetorical theory presented in Antony’s treatise bears many connections to the progymnasmata, which will be presented here. Moreover, the paper positions Antony within the Abbasid world and, while keeping a specific focus on the Greco-Syriac connections within Syriac rhetoric, explores the impact of the “Abbasid factor” on this tradition.

Citation

Nicosia, M. (2024). Antony of Tagrit and the progymnasmata: Towards a Syriac rhetorical theory in the Abbasid Era. Histoire Epistémologie Langage, 46(2), https://doi.org/10.4000/12v6a

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 6, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Dec 7, 2024
• Publication Date: Dec 7, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jun 7, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 7, 2024
• Journal: Histoire Epistémologie Langage
• Electronic ISSN: 1638-1580
• Publisher: OpenEdition
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 46
• Issue: 2
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/12v6a
• Keywords: Syriac rhetoric, Anthony of Tagrit, Progymnasmata, Syriac rhetoric in the Abbasid era
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2475119
• Publisher URL: https://journals.openedition.org/hel/