Author: Craig, Christopher P.
Title: Self-Restraint, Invective, and Credibility in Cicero’s First Catilinarian Oration
Review/Collection: American Journal of Philology - Volume 128, Number 3 (Whole Number 511
Year edition: 2007
Pages: 335-339
Keywords: Éloquence - Eloquenza - Eloquence
Description: [Abstract] The First Catilinarian, in comparison with other Ciceronian political speeches commonly considered invectives, is extraordinarily sparing in its use of the standard invective themes. This article will first demonstrate the remarkable paucity in the speech of the invective loci that Cicero's audiences would properly expect. Then it will offer an explanation for Cicero's restraint grounded in the circumstances of the speech and the expectations of Cicero's audience for the veracity of invective. Cicero's First Catilinarian Oration is perhaps the most famous prose work in classical Latin literature. Long a staple of Latin instruction, the speech has recently attracted attention for the nature and effectiveness of its argumentation and for its impact as a published text. But there is a striking oddity in the argumentation of the speech that has not yet been noticed. The First Catilinarian, in comparison with other Ciceronian political speeches commonly considered invectives, is extraordinarily sparing in its use of the standard invective themes. This discussion will...
Works:
Author initials: Craig 2007
Title: Self-Restraint, Invective, and Credibility in Cicero’s First Catilinarian Oration
Review/Collection: American Journal of Philology - Volume 128, Number 3 (Whole Number 511
Year edition: 2007
Pages: 335-339
Keywords: Éloquence - Eloquenza - Eloquence
Description: [Abstract] The First Catilinarian, in comparison with other Ciceronian political speeches commonly considered invectives, is extraordinarily sparing in its use of the standard invective themes. This article will first demonstrate the remarkable paucity in the speech of the invective loci that Cicero's audiences would properly expect. Then it will offer an explanation for Cicero's restraint grounded in the circumstances of the speech and the expectations of Cicero's audience for the veracity of invective. Cicero's First Catilinarian Oration is perhaps the most famous prose work in classical Latin literature. Long a staple of Latin instruction, the speech has recently attracted attention for the nature and effectiveness of its argumentation and for its impact as a published text. But there is a striking oddity in the argumentation of the speech that has not yet been noticed. The First Catilinarian, in comparison with other Ciceronian political speeches commonly considered invectives, is extraordinarily sparing in its use of the standard invective themes. This discussion will...
Works:
Author initials: Craig 2007
