| Summary: | This thesis is connected with the life and works of Diya'-ad-Din b. al-Athir, an Arab rhetorician of the 6th/7th century A.D. It is divided into two parts, the first of which has exploited all available sources in order to sketch a brief biography of this scholar. A list of works attributed to him is given, together with arguments which suggest whether these attributions are correct or false. A brief description of the contents of these works is also given. The second part of the thesis provides an analysis of Diya'-ad-Din's theory of rhetoric based on two works, al-Mathal as-Sa'ir and al-Jami' al-Kabir. The four chapters in this part each deal with a topic of discussion in which Diya'-ad-Din's own treatment is compared to that of other rhetoricians, whenever he appears to differ from them. Chapter Three deals with the foundations of rhetoric, and Chapter Four with verbal composition connected with the single word, Chapter Five with verbal composition connected with compound expressions, and Chapter Six deals with aspects of composition relating to signification. Finally, a brief conclusion attempts to assess Diya'-ad-Din's place among Arabic rhetoricians and tries to account for the popularity of the Mathal as-Sa'ir.
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