White background with dark gray statue of an ibis and praying figure. Dusty orange title top center; dusty orange author name at bottom. White background with dark gray statue of an ibis and praying figure. Dusty orange title top center; dusty orange author name at bottom. White background with dark gray statue of an ibis and praying figure. Dusty orange title top center; dusty orange author name at bottom.

Size: 6 x 9
Pages: 224
Illustrations: 14 b&w halftones

World History
 Rhetoric & Communication
 paperback
 ebook
 hardcover
 Forthcoming
 Books
 Open Access Ebook

The Gods Themselves

Rhetoric and Myth in Sumer, Egypt, and Greece Before 355 BCE

Shawn D. Ramsey
foreword by Richard Leo Enos

Paperback
978-1-64336-650-0
Published: Jun 11 2026

$29.99

Hardcover
978-1-64336-619-7
 Published: Jun 11 2026

$74.99

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Ebook
978-1-64336-656-2
 Published: Jun 11 2026

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OA Ebook
978-1-64336-656-2
 Published: Jun 11 2026

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The inclusion of this book in the Open Carolina collection is made possible by the generous funding of University of South Carolina Libraries

Illuminates the geographic and cultural diversity of ancient rhetoric

The Gods Themselves examinesThe Gods Themselves examines ancient myth as a source of rhetorical precept and a tool of human persuasion. In this provocative work, Shawn D. Ramsey extends the history of rhetoric to 2650 BCE through archaeological, epigraphical, and textual sources from Mediterranean and Near Eastern myths.

In his examination of "rhetorical myths"—the stories we tell ourselves about the stories we tell ourselves—Ramsey presents rhetoric as the knowledge of principles that guide speech and writing. These narratives show rhetoric to be an abstract field of knowledge with ontological significance. The Gods Themselves highlights myths that teach rhetorical theory or praxis, such as those featuring Sumerian goddess Nisaba and Egyptian deities Seshat and Thoth, figures who personify rhetorical concepts of archival knowledge and discourse creation. Ramsey analyzes how these early myths influenced writings by the Greek thinkers Prodicus, Isocrates, and Plato. Underscoring myth's role in shaping rhetorical culture, this synchronic history bridges ancient traditions and their lasting influence on rhetorical theory.



Shawn D. Ramsey teaches communication and ethical reasoning in Doha, Qatar. He has published in journals including Rhetoric Society Quarterly, Rhetoric Review, and Journal for the History of Rhetoric.

"Ramsey's fresh readings of ancient Mediterranean myths expand what counts as rhetorical theory, offering new sites of inquiry for historians of rhetoric."—Martin Camper, Loyola University Maryland, author of Arguing over Texts: The Rhetoric of Interpretation

"Ramsey reveals the impact of early Eastern thought on Western intellectual history through rhetoric."—Richard Leo Enos, professor emeritus, Texas Christian University