| Summary: | The article explores the philosophical implications of the rhetoric of parody in the Platonic dialogue "Menexenus." The author contends that the parodic strategy of amplification is used to stress anachronism and present criticism of funeral oratory, rhetoric, and Athens, Greece generally. The author concludes that the author Plato challenges notions of civic identity and virtue inspired by the genre of funeral oration and the praise-oriented model of political discourse. The article suggests that Plato's parodic strategy suggests alternative understandings of political discourse, civic identity, and virtue.
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