” De domo sua ” : legal problem and structure

Author: Stroh, Wilfried
Title: ” De domo sua ” : legal problem and structure
Review/Collection: in: Cicero the advocate / ed. by Jonathan G. F. Powell and Jeremy Paterson, X, 448
Place edition: Oxford & New York
Editor: Oxford University Pr.
Year edition: 2004
Pages: 313-370
Keywords: Droit - Diritto - Law, Éloquence - Eloquenza - Eloquence
Review:

Corbeill, “American Journal of Philology”, 2006, 127, (1), 144-149 – May, “Classical Review”, 2006, NS, 56, (1), 98-100

Description: On September 29, 57 BC, Cicero won his reinstatement into his house and grounds which had in part been dedicated to the gods by P. Clodius Pulcher. Cicero himself regarded the forensic speech delivered on that day, De domo sua, as an outstanding example of his own passionately inspired ‘power of eloquence’. This chapter argues that Cicero was right to place a high value on his speech, because he was conscious of the embarrassing difficulty with which he had had to struggle with regards to the legal dispute he faced involving his house. Though his deadly enemy P. Clodius Pulcher had performed the dedication in question with definitely spiteful intent, still it was performed in a legally correct, binding, and, according to Roman conceptions, irreversible manner. Thus, Cicero certainly had good reason to divert attention from the salient point through irrelevant polemics, and to mobilise the full power of his emotions on his own behalf to turn the trial in his favor. [Author]  [Powell & Paterson 2004]
Works:
Author initials: Stroh 2004