oa Homerische sprekers

This contribution draws attention to the rhetorical aspects of Homeric poetry. Recent scholarship has shown that speeches in the Iliad and Odyssey display various patterns, techniques and strategies of persuasion that were in later times taught by Greek and Roman rhetoricians. The first part of this essay explores the complex relationship between Homeric poetry and classical rhetoric. The second part examines the rhetorical techniques of Polyphemus, the Sirens, Calypso and Odysseus. It is argued that a rhetorical perspective on Homeric speeches can inform and enrich the reading experience of the Odyssey. A few didactic applications are suggested.