Corax of Syracuse

Corax (also: Corax ) applies in addition to his pupils Teisias as one of the founders of rhetoric. He lived in the 5th century BC, Sicily.

Life

In times of tyranny in Sicily Korax should have held an influential post at the court in Syracuse. After the fall of the tyrant Thrasybulus Korax tried to continue to retain power and influence by distinguished himself as a speaker on political issues. From the speech practice, he developed a first teaching of rhetoric, which he also taught from then on. In Western culture it was therefore probably the first, who was paying for his public speaking class. He has written manuals, but they are not known. In it, he shared the speech in at least three or five parts:

This scheme is valid in its main features to this day. Testimony to the ideas Korax give example Plato, Aristotle and Cicero.

Rhetoric History is interesting that the forensic eloquence seems to be at the beginning of the rhetorical techne by Korax ' action in court. Because there are countless open land issues had surrendered by the end of tyranny, which have now been brought before the court. Korax advised the parties. Aristotle remarks, " according to which the invention of rhetoric with the establishment of democracy related and the beginning of forensic speech can be seen in Sicily in the performed after the end of tyranny property processes " ( Klaus Schöpsdau, ancient idea of ​​the history of rhetoric ) seems to historical facts.

Influences on science

Corax was through his pioneering work in the field of rhetoric also to be the godfather for the ravens, Corvus corax taxonomically who knows how to imitate human speech, not only, but is also able to use them meaningful.