Encomium

Encomium is a Latin word deriving from the Classical Greek ἐγκώμιον (encomion) meaning the praise of a person or thing. "Encomium" also refers to several distinct aspects of rhetoric:

A general category of oratory
A method within rhetorical pedagogy
A figure of speech. As a figure, encomium means praising a person or thing, but occurring on a smaller scale than an entire speech.
The eighth exercise in the progymnasmata series
A literary genre that included five elements: prologue, birth and upbringing, acts of the person's life, comparisons used to praise the subject, and an epilogue.^{[citation needed]}

Examples

Gorgias's Encomium of Helen is one of the most famous historical encomia.^{[citation needed]} In it, Gorgias offers several justifications for excusing Helen of Troy's adultery—notably, that she was persuaded by speech, which is a "powerful lord" or "powerful drug" depending on the translation.
In Erasmus's Praise of Folly, Folly composes an encomium to herself. It is an ironic encomium because being praised by Folly is backwards praise; therefore, Folly praising herself is an ironic conundrum.
De Pippine regis Victoria Avarica, a medieval encomium of victory of Pepin of Italy over the Avars
Encomium Emmae, a medieval encomium of Queen Emma of Normandy
Versum de Mediolano civitate, a medieval encomium of Milan
Versus de Verona, a medieval encomium of Verona
Polychronion, chanted in the liturgy of Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite
A kind of encomium is used by the Christian writer Paul in his praise of love in 1 Corinthians 13. The prologue is verses 1-3, acts are v. 4-7, comparison is v. 8-12, and epilogue is 13:13-14:1.^[1]

References

^ David E. Garland, Baker Exegetical Commentary, 1 Corinthians, 606, based on the work of Sigountos.

[1] David E. Garland, Baker Exegetical Commentary, 1 Corinthians, 606, based on the work of Sigountos.

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