ABSTRACT
George of Pisidia alludes to a hostile report by Demosthenes' rival the Athenian orator Aischines of an incident during negotiations with Philip of Macedon in 347/6 BC. His metrics are competent by classical standards, although like other late poets he regulates the position of accent at key points in the line, to assist comprehension of the rhythm to ears no longer sensitive to distinctions of vowel quantity. In this chapter, the author argues that George was first and foremost a Demosthenes. She explains how his rhetoric works in order to use him as a historical source. The author talks about his literary abilities which show how he stands Janus-like at the junction of the classical and medieval worlds. She explores some strands of his rhetorical techniques, first in his adaptation of a prose text and then by looking at references in his poetry to the word, words, and finally silence.
