Epi(deixis)

The word epideictic (epidittico in Italian) comes from the ancient Greek epideiktikos based on deiknunai, which means ‘to show’. It is one of the three subdivisions of rhetoric as described in Aristotle’s book Rhetoric (367 – 322 BC). Epideixis is characterized by or designed to display rhetorical or oratorical skill. Epideixis is a demonstrative speech commonly used for opening events, anniversaries, births and funeral orations. Aristotle and many philosophers after him define Epideixis as a speech of style from which neither agonistic achievement nor polemic arouses. An epideictic oratorical demonstration does not provoke controversy but promotes values that are shared in the communities.