Narrare e argomentare: percorsi della verità nella Grecia antica

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show the difference between narration and argumentation in ancient Greek culture from the point of view of their respective conception of truth. I make reference to Homeric poems and to Gorgias’ Encomium of Helen as examples respectively of narrative and argumentative texts. Both Homer and Gorgias use the word kosmos to make clear their notion of truth. But while in Homer the truth of narration is the result of factual accuracy, by the same word kosmos Gorgias points to the strong connection between truth and logical consistency.