La defensa de las emociones: Gorgias y la producción retórica de páthe en el Encomio de Helena

Abstract

On the basis of a comparison with the rhetorical presentation of pathe as means of persuasion in Aristotle’s Rhetoric, this paper intends to shed light on the importance of the construction of emotional effects in the Encomium of Helen. The purpose is to show the way in which Gorgias manages to resort to an efficient argumentative use of affections (and their manipulation) in the judicial arena even before the theoretical attempt by Aristotle.

Keywords

• Gorgias
• Helen
• emotions
• Aristotle
• rhetoric
• law