Gnome (rhetoric)

The Gnome (Greek γνώμη GNOME) is a short motto.

It contains in concise format is a practical philosophy of life, a general observation, an experience, a rule or principle ( usually in the form of couplet or hexameters ).

Example: The strong man is powerful alone. ( Friedrich Schiller, Wilhelm Tell) Example of modern Gnome: No one but giant is able to seal the concise gnomes. And these gnomes are completely understandable even for stupid gnomes ( Volodymyr Knyr )

Dissemination

Gnomes can be found in bound and unbound speech in many literatures, as among the Hebrews, Indians, Persians, Arabs, Scandinavians, etc.

Greece

In Greece, flourished particularly in the 6th century BC a rich gnomic poetry. Gnomes were presented in elegiac couplets and so handed the memory. The most famous Gnome poets were Solon, Theognis and Phocylides. In addition, the Greek literature is rich in gnomes, as in Homer and Hesiod.

As a literary small forms the Gnome needed a folder in which it existed collected, the so-called Gnomologium. Plato mentions collections of the Seven Sages in Delphi and prepared for students Dichtergnomologien. Xenophon mentions how Socrates strikes a role with sayings of wise men.

Among the most famous collections include the Monostichoi of the poet Menander or the Golden words of Pythagoras.

Rome

From the Roman literature especially the collection of Disticha the so-called Dionysius Cato is emphasized.

Germany

The gnomes also includes the German Priameln. Pyrogolth are Gnome poet, Gnomologen saying collectors.

Gnomes of the Seven Sages

Of the Seven Sages, a number of gnomes have survived that were attributed to them. The classical scholar Bruno Snell points out that it was thought at the Seven Sages especially on their utterances. The oldest and most widely recognized distribution seems to be the following: