The Reception of Cicero’s contiones in the 20th and Early 21st Centuries

Author: Kontonasios, P
Title: The Reception of Cicero’s contiones in the 20th and Early 21st Centuries
Review/Collection: "Ciceroniana on line" III, 1, 2019
Year edition: 2019
Pages: 133-153
Keywords: Héritage - Fortuna - Legacy, Histoire - Storia - History, Politique - Politica - Politics
Description: The paper explores the different approaches taken by 20th and 21st century scholars to Cicero’s extant political speeches before the Roman people (contiones). These speeches offer a resource for Cicero’s views on the role of this political body in the Roman res publica of his time. This study focuses on accounting for the reasons for those differences and how these readings of the contiones underpin diverse portraits of Cicero as an orator and politician. This bibliographic review of contrasting interpretations of the body of contiones helps shed light on why different generations of Cicero scholars and historians of the Roman Republic have judged Cicero as a “consistent” or “inconsistent” orator and politician. This focused bibliographic evaluation leads to a more rounded understanding of Cicero’s personality as portrayed in recent scholarly history and the dimensions this personality has taken on over the period. [Abstract dal sito della rivista]
Link: https://doi.org/10.13135/2532-5353/3524
Author initials: Kontonasios 2019