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The Roman Catholic Church
An ancient Greek orator who lived around the fourth or fifth century B.C.E. Isocrates was one of the “Attic Orators,” or the greatest rhetoricians of the classical era, and his spoken and written works were foundational in the areas of rhetoric and education. Milton’s title, Areopagitica is a direct reference to Isocrates and his written speech, the Areopagitic Discourse, in which Isocrates addresses the Athenian assembly and the power of the Court of Areopagus over the people of Greece. At the time Isocrates wrote his Areopagitic Discourse, he wasn’t physically able to give a speech, so he wrote one instead. Milton’s Areopagitica is a written speech, much like the Areopagitic Discourse, only Milton addresses Parliament and their power over the people of England.
Isocrates Quotes in Areopagitica
The Areopagitica quotes below are all either spoken by Isocrates or refer to Isocrates. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Areopagitica
Quotes
Lords and Commons, as what your published order hath directly said, that to gainsay, I might defend myself with ease if any should accuse me of being new or insolent, did they but know how much better I find ye esteem it to imitate the old and elegant humanity of Greece, than the barbaric pride of a Hunnish and Norwegian stateliness. And out of those ages, to whose polite wisdom and letters we owe that we are not yet Goths and Jutlanders, I could name him who from his private house wrote that discourse to the parliament of Athens, that persuades them to change the form of democracy which was then established. Such honour was done in those days to men who professed the study of wisdom and eloquence, not only in their own country, but in other lands, that cities and signories heard them gladly, and with great respect, if they had aught in public to admonish the state.
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Isocrates Quotes in Areopagitica
The Areopagitica quotes below are all either spoken by Isocrates or refer to Isocrates. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Areopagitica
Quotes
Lords and Commons, as what your published order hath directly said, that to gainsay, I might defend myself with ease if any should accuse me of being new or insolent, did they but know how much better I find ye esteem it to imitate the old and elegant humanity of Greece, than the barbaric pride of a Hunnish and Norwegian stateliness. And out of those ages, to whose polite wisdom and letters we owe that we are not yet Goths and Jutlanders, I could name him who from his private house wrote that discourse to the parliament of Athens, that persuades them to change the form of democracy which was then established. Such honour was done in those days to men who professed the study of wisdom and eloquence, not only in their own country, but in other lands, that cities and signories heard them gladly, and with great respect, if they had aught in public to admonish the state.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock explanations and citation info for this and every other Areopagitica quote.
Plus so much more...
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