After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe splintered and dissolved into chaos and war. Although Europe lost the empire that gave it stability and law, Christianity took its place as the universal theology that governed this part of the world. During this period in Europe, known as the Middle Ages, Christianity was characterized by a strict doctrine that was taught and enforced by the Catholic clergy. The Christian doctrine was heavily opposed to anything pagan in nature, including Roman and Greek writings and teachings. As a result, much of the works of Roman and Greek rhetoricians were destroyed. However, there were some that practiced and taught rhetoric during the Middle Ages in Europe. Among these rhetoricians were St. Augustine and James Murphy. These rhetoricians sought to adapt the techniques of pagan rhetoric to the more social and Christian society of their time by using rhetoric in preaching and poetry.

The use of rhetoric in the Middle Ages heavily contrasts with that in Ancient Greece and Rome in that where Middle Age rhetoric sought to advance the views of Christianity, rhetoric in Ancient Greece and Rome sought to advance the individual or the state. We can see that the roots of these differences lie in the contrasting societies of Greece and Rome versus Middle Age Europe. Where in Ancient Greece and Rome there was a heavy social pressure to contribute to the state and be the most productive citizen you could be, in Middle Ages Europe there was a heavy social pressure to conform to Christian values which embodied a simple life characterized by fear of God and the clergy. Rhetoric in Greece and Rome sought to bring pride in one’s self and the state, while rhetoric in Middle Ages Europe sought to convince the public that you should submit to and fear God and the clergy who interpret and enforce his laws.

From rhetoric’s beginnings in Ancient Greece, to its refinement in Rome, to its manipulation and adaptation in Europe, rhetoric underwent drastic change. Rhetoric went from an art focused on freedom of thought and expression to a tool used in the campaign of a religion. However, although rhetoric’s uses changed, its basic foundations never changed. The ideas and teachings of the Greek and Roman rhetoricians, such as Aristotle and Cicero, continued to be used and taught, albeit for an adapted use.

Help Received: Ch.6 Herrick