Cecil W. Wooten

Professor Emeritus of Classics 

Professor Wooten wrote his dissertation on Greek oratory during the Hellenistic period. His major source was Cicero’s rhetorical works, and the most important conclusion that he reached was that the influence of Demosthenes continued to be of paramount importance long after his death. This dissertation thus allowed Professor Wooten to combine an interest in Greek and Latin literature, and this has abided throughout his career. He is primarily interested in rhetoric and oratory, particularly style and one of its major components, grammar. This interest in rhetoric has engendered an interest in prose in general, and Professor Wooten has also done some work on the novel, particularly Petronius and Apuleius.

Lately he has developed an interest, at least for teaching purposes, in sex and gender in the ancient world. He is also interested in the teaching of elementary languages and has supervised the beginning Latin program during much of his stay at Chapel Hill.

His new book, A Commentary on Demosthenes’s Philippic I with Rhetorical Analyses of Philippics II and III, was published in 2008 by Oxford University Press as part of the American Philological Association’s series of texts and commentaries.

E-mail: cwwootenATemailDOTuncDOTedu