Author: Hall, Jon
Title: The Rhetorical Design and the Success of the Twelfth Philippic
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: 282-304
Keywords: Éloquence - Eloquenza - Eloquence, Histoire - Storia - History, Politique - Politica - Politics
Description: Jon Hall’s treatment of Philippic 12 is another testament to the value of close, detailed analysis. He notices that the speech maintains consistent opposition to the idea that Cicero should join the proposed second embassy to Antony. However, it comes to a faltering close: Cicero says he will go, if he can safely do so. The concession is curious and demands attention, as do several contradictions and changes of tack elsewhere in the corpus (e.g. Phil. 9.7 makes Antony responsible for the death of Servius Sulpicius Rufus on the first embassy, whereas Phil. 9.8 makes the Senate responsible). Hall argues that throughout Philippic 12 there are signs that Cicero’s delivery was not unimpeded. He apparently dealt with interjections and counters on an ad hoc basis, changing tack if he needed to, and thinking fast on his feet. Instead of the persuasive speech that historians have seen, Hall concludes that Philippic 12 was rather indecisive and weak. He reminds us that there were many elements in the political equations of this period that we know absolutely nothing about. We should, therefore, resist any temptation to see a simple cause-and-effect relationship between Philippic 12 and the fact that the proposed second embassy never took place. [Stevenson & Wilson 2008, 19]
Works:
Author initials: Hall 2008
Title: The Rhetorical Design and the Success of the Twelfth Philippic
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: 282-304
Keywords: Éloquence - Eloquenza - Eloquence, Histoire - Storia - History, Politique - Politica - Politics
Description: Jon Hall’s treatment of Philippic 12 is another testament to the value of close, detailed analysis. He notices that the speech maintains consistent opposition to the idea that Cicero should join the proposed second embassy to Antony. However, it comes to a faltering close: Cicero says he will go, if he can safely do so. The concession is curious and demands attention, as do several contradictions and changes of tack elsewhere in the corpus (e.g. Phil. 9.7 makes Antony responsible for the death of Servius Sulpicius Rufus on the first embassy, whereas Phil. 9.8 makes the Senate responsible). Hall argues that throughout Philippic 12 there are signs that Cicero’s delivery was not unimpeded. He apparently dealt with interjections and counters on an ad hoc basis, changing tack if he needed to, and thinking fast on his feet. Instead of the persuasive speech that historians have seen, Hall concludes that Philippic 12 was rather indecisive and weak. He reminds us that there were many elements in the political equations of this period that we know absolutely nothing about. We should, therefore, resist any temptation to see a simple cause-and-effect relationship between Philippic 12 and the fact that the proposed second embassy never took place. [Stevenson & Wilson 2008, 19]
Works:
Author initials: Hall 2008
