Divided Audience and Figured Speech in Cicero’s Pro Balbo

Autore: Kenty, Joanna
Titolo: Divided Audience and Figured Speech in Cicero’s Pro Balbo
Rivista/Miscellanea: "American Journal of Philology", 142, 1
Editore: Johns Hopkins University Press
Anno edizione: 2021
Pagine: 67-101
Parole chiave: Éloquence - Eloquenza - Eloquence, Politique - Politica - Politics, Rhétorique - Retorica - Rhetorics
Descrizione: [Kenty, Joanna] [Abstract] Ancient rhetorical theorists described figured speech (oratio figurata) as a strategy for expressing criticism safely, through a screen of ambiguity. I argue that Cicero's Pro Balbo can be read as figured, communicating criticism of Pompey. Cicero's panegyric to Pompey in this speech would have appeared to be factually accurate and commendable to pro-Pompeian members of the audience, but factually wrong or even insincere to anti-Pompeians. Multiple readings of Cicero's intentions are latent as possible interpretations of the speech because of political divisions and divergent prejudices at the time of its delivery.
Opere:
Link: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/787551
Sigla autore: Kenty 2021