Classical Writing Demosthenes

Book VII: Demosthenes - Research Paper
Progymnasma Thesis & Law ~ 11th or 12th grade

This book teaches the progymnasmata Thesis and Law. It is a one-semester course, to be taught in either 11th or 12th grade. Demosthenes teaches writing projects at the early college level, starting with the progymnasmata Thesis and Law and ending with the modern research paper.

Demosthenes comes with a free downloadable pdf Companion /study guide, containing a schedule, models, and tables that may be useful as you work through Demosthenes .

As a supplementary theory book to Demosthenes , we now also provide a Rhetoric Handbook to supplement your studies. It should ideally be studied concurrent with or before Demosthenes.

Rhetoric Handbook can also serve as a reference work for rhetoric and writing, but it is chiefly the guide to all rhetorical techniques covered Demosthenes. This is the culminating book for the series, and a ready reference for outlines, looking up terms and refreshing how to outline an essay or a longer project. Both Rhetoric Handbook and Demosthenes - Research Paper are available now.

Our mascot is Demosthenes the famous Greek orator of the third century BC. His greatest oration is entitled On the Crown. We will study this oration, also, in Rhetoric Handbook in preparation for Demosthenes .

As with all our books we feature two goals for each book: A goal in ancient rhetoric and a goal in modern writing skills. This book features the progymnasma Thesis, an examination of a particular subject of dispute. The issue of dispute may involve politics, theology, morality, or philosophy. This progymnasma argues both sides of a question in the same essay, in a point-counter point fashion. Thesis, like Commonplace, discusses a broad concept, not a specific issue. Through our study of the progymnasma Thesis, we also teach the modern research paper. We add modern distinctions to the ancient techniques, for example, scope (limiting the discussion to a manageable size), thesis statement formulation, modern research strategies, modern outlining, drafting, revisions, and proofreading skills.

Our key ancient source text is Aristotle's Rhetoric which is studied in Rhetoric Handbook.