Demosthenes

Catalog description

This semester we shall read Demosthenes, On the Crown. This speech, one of the masterpieces of Greek oratory, was delivered in 330 BC towards the end of Demosthenes' career. It has long been used as a valuable source of information on social, religious and political history, but it is also a pleasure to read for its clarity and vigour. We will read approximately five pages per week, and each Thursday there will be a short student report on a topic relating to the speech and Athenian oratory. These reports will be written up and submitted one week later as the only papers required in the class. Intermediate-level (200-level) Greek for undergraduate students is a pre-requisite for this class.