λέξις in Dionysius of Halicarnassus' writings on rhetoric

Abstract

We intend to carry out a comprehensive study of the use of the term λέξις in the rhetorical writings of Dionysius of Halicarnassus. We will investigate its different meanings and interconnections with λόγος As we will see, λέξις is still Dionysiuś preferred term when denoting expression or style , and, thus, he indicates an intermediate stage of evolution between that of Philodemus of Gadara and that of Ps. Longinus or Hermogenes: the latter in these cases have resorted to using λόγος, a non-marked term of opposition, something which would still have been unthinkable for Dionysius.