Panegyrics are eulogies that were popular during the heyday of oratory in ancient Greece. This literary tradition continues to exist in our days and is quite common.
What is modern panegyrics?
The eulogy has a certain meaning, it describes a person’s life in terms of achievements. Here are some facts that usually include panegyrics:
- When and where the deceased was born.
- Baby nicknames.
- Names of parents (as well as where they met and married).
- Brothers and sisters.
- Early childhood - settlements and interests.
- Schools, successes, awards.
- Professional qualifications and achievements.
- Some interesting cases from childhood.
- Details of marriage, children, significant relationships.
- Sports achivments.
- Hobbies, interests, traveling, hobbies, etc.
- Details of historical significance.
- Preferences, likes and dislikes.
"Panegyric": meaning of the word
The etymology of the concept dates back to the Latin panegyricus, which means "speech in a public meeting." Panegyrics are public speaking in honor of a person, object or achievement. The form of such eulogy can be both oral and written.
Also translated from Greek panegyric (emphasis on the third syllable) means any praise that has been used to exalt some people, events, and so on.
Ancient panegyrics were often accompanied by a certain degree of servility and servility. They clearly traced the desire and desire to affirm in the public mind the significance of the most important and characteristic representatives of society.
Synonyms and Antonyms
Among the synonyms of the described word are the following:
- praise;
- dithyramb;
- Honoring
- anthem;
- Oh yeah;
- greeting;
- tribute;
- praise;
- confession;
- acclamation;
- applause;
- compliment.
And which one can you choose for the word "panegyric" antonym? There are several suitable options, among which the following stand out:
- censure;
- conviction;
- closing indictment;
- reproach;
- reprimand;
- exhortation;
- lecture;
- sermon;
- exposure;
- tirade;
- scolding;
- swearing.
What are panegyrics? Examples
Any such laudatory text implies the presence of enthusiasm, since the eulogy refers to a prepared speech that extols the dignity of a particular person. This is a kind of thoughtful and often poetic compliment.
In classical rhetoric, it is recognized as a form of ceremonial speech. Not all eulogies were serious, including a panegyric (an example is Erasmus of Rotterdam's “Praise of Stupidity,” written in the 16th century). Its purpose was to ridicule class confrontations.
Panegyrics in Ancient Greece
In Athens, such speeches were once made at national festivals, during theatrical performances, folk celebrations, or sports and games. This was done to awaken the desire of citizens to remember and praise the glorious deeds of their ancestors.
The most famous are Olympia Gorgia, Olympiacus Lysia, as well as Panathenaicus and Panegyricus (panegyric) Isocrates (486-338 BC), who called for the creation of Hellenic political unity.
Excerpts from the speech of Isocrates at the Pan-Hellenic Festival
The following eulogy is known (an example of eulogy for a solemn event): "We gathered in one place where we offer our prayers and sacrifices that remind us of the relationship that exists between us and the benevolent relationship to each other in the future, the revival of our old friends and the establishment of new connections. ... The Greeks have the opportunity to show their valor, while others can see them, competing against each other in games. ... And the whole world came to look at them. " (Isocrates, Panegyricus, 380 B.C.)
Isocrates was an outstanding ancient Greek orator and publicist. His speeches and political instructions were used as a powerful educational tool. He is called a follower of Lysias and a student of Gorgias, who was one of the founders of the art of eloquence. Socrates himself once said about him that in Isocrates the love of wisdom was laid down by nature itself. The speaker had a special passion for solemn and public eloquence.
Work of a lifetime and unjustified hopes
Panegyric Isocrates was completely politicized. The idea of uniting the Athenians with the inhabitants of Sparta for a joint confrontation in the fight against the Persians passed through as a red thread in a speech over which the author had been piling for about 10 years. According to its composition, “Panegyric” is divided into two parts. They solemnly highlight the fatherland and its rich heroic past, as well as numerous global benefits, including the development of the Balkans, scientific inventions, the emergence of major trade routes.
It goes without saying, according to the speaker, that all this gave the Athenians the unshakable right to lead other Greeks and to occupy a leading position in the fight against savages and barbarians. At the end of his epic, Isocrates edifies his listeners. However, it refers not only to the holy war and the unity of the Hellenes. He boldly and audaciously calls on other speakers to stop talking about all sorts of nonsense and at least make an attempt to surpass his work by eloquence.
Panegyric Isocrates is a truly expertly constructed literary masterpiece, in which the plasticity of colorful and sensually perceived figures is inferior to visualization of a slightly different kind, the characteristic feature of which is logical clarity. Despite the justice and reasonableness of his point of view, Isocrates still failed to achieve the desired. History had plans in this regard. Refusing food and disappointed in his illusory fantasies, the great speaker died in 337. The peaceful unification of the Hellenes was impossible, and the absence of mutual concessions ultimately led to a bloody battle.
Modern cultures and religions include in their funeral rituals and panegyrics in honor of the departed. In this case, eulogy serves as a farewell word and a sign of respect for the dead.