[B-Greek] EMFASIS in NT Greek
Yancy Smith
yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
Tue Sep 22 12:27:13 EDT 2009
Dear list,
I am struggling to get my head around the ancient notion of EMFASIS as described by Demetrius On Style. I am not sure whether this list is the place to propose this problem, but I will give it a try. EMFASIS appears to be speech that depends for its rhetorical power upon indirectness (unlike our idea of emphasis!) When a speaker or author uses EMFASIS, he speak indirectly and may even appear to speak unwittingly using the rhetorical virtue of DEINOTHS, or craftiness. Apparently this virtue was greatly admired if not always feared in the ancient world. Demetrius (On Style 287)says:
Τὸ δὲ καλούμενον ἐσχηματισμένον ἐν λόγῳ οἱ νῦν ῥήτορες γελοίως ποιοῦσιν καὶ μετὰ ἐμφάσεως ἀγεννοῦς ἅμα καὶ οἷον ἀναμνηστικῆς, ἀληθινὸν δὲ σχῆμά ἐστι λόγου μετὰ δυοῖν τούτοιν λεγόμενον, εὐπρεπείας καὶ ἀσφαλείας.
TO DE KALOUMENON ESCHMATISMENON EN LOGWi hOI NUN RhTORES GELOIWS POIOUSIN KAI META EMFASEWS AGENNOUS KAI hOION ANAMNHSTIKHS, ALHQINON DE SCHMA ESTI LOGOU META DUOIN TOUTOIN LEGOMENON, EUPREPEIAS KAI ASFALEIAS.
“That which is call “figured” in speech present day orators use for humorous effect. They combine it with vulgar and suggestive emphasis. But genuine figured speech has these two goal in mind: good taste and the [speaker’s] safety.”
It appears that Demetrius sees two legitimate uses for EMFASIS, good taste (in discussing delicate matters) and preserving the speaker’s safety in situations in which a speaker may offer critique of people that have the power to retaliate against him. The use he suggests is not genuine is the one used by orators for humorous effect. Quintilian notes that EMFASIS is used “a great deal nowadays” (Inst. Or. 9.2.65), and he adds a third use to Demetrius’ two uses of EMFASIS It is similar to a third use of EMFASIS suggested by Quintilian, when it is adopted for pleasurable effect (9.2.66). EMFASIS, then would be a way of speaking that operates by implicature for social and rhetorical reasons.
I am wondering whether members of the list could help me think of some examples of EMPHASIS from the NT? I have some in mind.
This question occurred to me while reading Frederick Ahl, “The Art of Safe Criticism in Greece and Rome” AJP 105 (1984): 174-208.
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