Author: Dawes, Tia
Title: The Encomium of Brutus in Philippic Ten
Review/Collection: In : Stevenson,Tom & Wilson, Marcus (Eds.), Cicero's Philippics: History, rhetoric and ideology, Polygraphia, coll. "Prudentia", Auckland, 2008, 374 p.
Year edition: 2008
Pages: 266-281
Keywords: Éloquence - Eloquenza - Eloquence, Histoire - Storia - History, Politique - Politica - Politics
Description: The praise of Brutus in Philippic 10 receives welcome attention from Tia Dawes, who views praise as the counterpart of invective in these speeches. As such, the praise functions as a kind of reverse criticism of Antony by legitimising the actions and motives of his opponents, and the nature of the contrast is such as to imbue it with considerable power. Dawes notes above all that Brutus wins praise for his adherence to republican forms. He is the champion and even the moral embodiment of the res publica. These points are reinforced by a consideration of Philippic 11, which revolves around invective against Dolabella and the Antonii and contains some of the most virulent invective found within the Philippics corpus. The sharp contrast between the two speeches helps to legitimise the actions of Brutus and Cassius, who may not have acted in accordance with public or senatorial opinion but did/act in accordance with reason and nature and the dictates of the circumstances. Their concern was always for the general advantage of the res publica. [Stevenson & Wilson 2008, 19]
Works:
Author initials: Dawes 2008
Title: The Encomium of Brutus in Philippic Ten
Review/Collection: In : Stevenson,Tom & Wilson, Marcus (Eds.), Cicero's Philippics: History, rhetoric and ideology, Polygraphia, coll. "Prudentia", Auckland, 2008, 374 p.
Year edition: 2008
Pages: 266-281
Keywords: Éloquence - Eloquenza - Eloquence, Histoire - Storia - History, Politique - Politica - Politics
Description: The praise of Brutus in Philippic 10 receives welcome attention from Tia Dawes, who views praise as the counterpart of invective in these speeches. As such, the praise functions as a kind of reverse criticism of Antony by legitimising the actions and motives of his opponents, and the nature of the contrast is such as to imbue it with considerable power. Dawes notes above all that Brutus wins praise for his adherence to republican forms. He is the champion and even the moral embodiment of the res publica. These points are reinforced by a consideration of Philippic 11, which revolves around invective against Dolabella and the Antonii and contains some of the most virulent invective found within the Philippics corpus. The sharp contrast between the two speeches helps to legitimise the actions of Brutus and Cassius, who may not have acted in accordance with public or senatorial opinion but did/act in accordance with reason and nature and the dictates of the circumstances. Their concern was always for the general advantage of the res publica. [Stevenson & Wilson 2008, 19]
Works:
Author initials: Dawes 2008
