Chapter 4 - Dionysius and Lysias’ Charm

Summary

Dionysius of Halicarnassus’ critical essay on Lysias is a very rich piece of literary criticism. In this work Dionysius gives an outline of the critical structure and rhetorical methodology which will provide the basis for his other essays on Attic orators. This chapter concentrates on one of the most intriguing aspects of the essay on Lysias, namely Dionysius’ exploration of the concept of charm or χάρις. Even though this concept had been used before in rhetorical and literary criticism, Dionysius gives it an unprecedentedly prominent position in this essay and links it closely (even exclusively) to Lysianic prose. This chapter aims to show the way in which Dionysius’ focus on Lysias’ charm fits within his larger critical work and how pinning down the meaning of this elusive concept might shed light on his engagement with Augustan Rome.