They spoke in defense of themselves: On the generic criticism of apologia

Abstract

The family of apologetic speeches, composed of responses to charges made against a person's character, has yet to receive critical attention as a genre. This essay, based upon the study of apologia from different historical periods, identifies four types of rhetorical strategies commonly found in such addresses. Rhetors typically employ these strategies in combinations that produce four discernible subgenres of the apologetic form: (a) absolutive, (b) vindicative, (c) explanative, and (d) justificative. This mapping of the genre should serve as an aid in the generic criticism of apologia.