Resumen de Sumbouloi: la perception de soi chez les orateurs attiques

Elisabetta Bianco

• English

  When we talk about Attic orators, we think of the Greek word rhetores, but in reality, if we analyze the self-perception that they seem to have, we are struck by the effort that some of them are making to not be defined in this way and to characterize through this term their political enemies. The decision to use this title sounds like an accusation but a rather curious one, since those who use it always seem to forget their status of rhetor to denounce their opponents. To remedy this obvious contradiction, a new, positive term thus had to be chosen, and I propose here, by analyzing various oratorical sources, to highlight the role of Demosthenes, who played a determining part in the dissemination of the word sumboulos (“councillor,” a word already, albeit rarely, used by his predecessors), to characterize those capable of speaking in public with a view to the superiWhen we talk about Attic orators, we think of the Greek word rhetores, but in reality, if we analyze the self-perception that they seem to have, we are struck by the effort that some of them are making to not be defined in this way and to characterize through this term their political enemies. The decision to use this title sounds like an accusation but a rather curious one, since those who use it always seem to forget their status of rhetor to denounce their opponents. To remedy this obvious contradiction, a new, positive term thus had to be chosen, and I propose here, by analyzing various oratorical sources, to highlight the role of Demosthenes, who played a determining part in the dissemination of the word sumboulos (“councillor,” a word already, albeit rarely, used by his predecessors), to characterize those capable of speaking in public with a view to the superior good of their polisor good of their polis

• français

  Quand on parle d’orateurs attiques, on pense au mot grec rhètores, mais en fait, si l’on analyse la perception qu’ils semblent avoir d’eux-mêmes, ce qui nous frappe, c’est l’effort que certains d’entre eux déploient pour ne pas être définis de cette manière et pour caractériser négativement par ce terme leurs ennemis politiques. En réalité, le choix d’utiliser ce titre comme une accusation paraît plutôt curieux, dans la mesure où celui qui la lance semble toujours oublier son propre statut de rhètôr pour dénoncer celui de l’adversaire. Pour remédier à cette évidente contradiction, il a donc fallu choisir un nouveau mot positif et, à travers l’analyse de diverses sources oratoires, il est prévu ici de mettre en évidence le rôle de Démosthène, qui imprime une nette impulsion à la diffusion du mot sumboulos (« conseiller », déjà utilisé, quoique rarement, chez ses prédécesseurs), pour caractériser celui qui sait parler en public en vue du bien supérieur de sa polis