The Talking Greeks

What drove the ancient Greeks to explore human nature and invent Western politics? This book argues that the Greeks believed speech made humans different from other animals. But this zoological comparison also provided the metaphorical means for viewing those ''lacking'' authoritative speech--women barbarians and slaves etc.--as bestial. This link between speech humanity and status is revealed through close study of both Homeric epics classical Athenian culture Aeschylus'' Oresteia and Plato''s Dialogues.