Ceremonial and Religious Functions of Roman Epideictic Genres
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CEREMONIAL AND RELIGIOUS FUNCTIONS OF ROMAN EPIDEICTIC GENRES by MACEIO ILON LAUER (Under the Direction of Thomas Lessl) ABSTRACT This dissertation describes and analyzes the cultural, historical, and religious context surrounding three Roman epideictic texts in an effort to make broader theoretical arguments about Roman rhetoric. Each of the three case studies concentrate upon a distinctly Roman form of discourse and this dissertation argues that the ceremonial and ritual traditions attendant to these genres reflect the unique cultural salience of these texts and reveal the ways in which Roman epideictic developed independently of the Greek tradition. An initial overview of classical rhetorical theory reveals that scholarly treatments of epideictic rhetoric tend to emphasize the role played by Greek epideictic texts and typically dismiss or ignore the Roman epideictic tradition. More importantly, when studies of Roman epideictic forms are undertaken, they most often assume that the Roman forms derived the bulk of their topical, structural, and stylistic elements from earlier Greek antecedents. In fact, a full appreciation for the Roman texts requires a consideration of their own political and cultural context. The first case study investigates an early Contio of Cicero and argues that the Contio’s religious principles enabled the primarily deliberative speech form to assume an epideictic form. The second case study analyzes Augustus’ monumental Res Gestae and argues that this text marked a shift in the discursive conduct of Rome following the institution of the Principate. This shift was accompanied by a stronger emphasis on the spaces and rituals that amplified the message of the rhetor. The final study considers a Post-Augustan epideictic speech, Pliny’s Actio Gratiarum, and argues that this text reveals both the attendant ceremonial conduct of discourse during the second Century (C.E.), revealing the new relationship between rhetoric and the sociopolitical planning as well as the general themes of guiding the design of public space. A concluding chapter argues that scholarship should place greater emphasis upon Roman epideictic texts and makes some preliminary arguments concerning the applicability of such an emphasis on the contemporary study of public discourse. INDEX WORDS: epideictic, Roman Rhetoric, Contio, Res Gestae, Actio Gratiarum, Cicero, Pliny, Augustus CEREMONIAL AND RELIGIOUS FUNCTIONS OF ROMAN EPIDEICTIC GENRES by MACEIO ILON LAUER B.A., Oakland University, 1993 M.A. Indiana University, 1998 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS GEORGIA 2007 © 2007 Maceio Ilon Lauer All Rights Reserved CEREMONIAL AND RELIGIOUS FUNCTIONS OF ROMAN EPIDEICTIC GENRES By MACEIO ILON LAUER Major Professor: Thomas Lessl Committee: Celeste Condit Ed Panetta Sarah Spence Thomas Conley Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2007 iv DEDICATION I dedicate this document to my wife Anne, whose enduring support allowed me to begin the process and to my son Henry, whose advent inspired me to complete it. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to all of my friends, family members, and teachers who have supported me throughout my life. Special thanks to Tom, Rita, James, Justine, Alex, Mildred, Henry Bern, Margaret, David, and Alan. In addition, I thank all of my friends from Bloomington, Southfield, Indiana, Georgia, Macomb, and the debate community. I have been truly fortunate to have encountered many outstanding teachers. Of particular note are Dr. Sean Moran, Dr. Ronald Finucane, Dr. Mary Karasch, Dr. Bruce Mann, Dr. Nigel Hampton, Dr. Cynthia Bannon, Dr. Robert Ivie, Dr. James Andrews, Dr. Patricia Andrews, Dr. Gary Cronkite, Dr. John Lucaites, Dr. Cynthia Bannon, Dr. Martha Vinson, Dr. William Hansen, Dr. Charles Platter, Dr. Mario Erasmo, Dr. Keith Dix, Dr. Bonnie Dow, Dr. Kevin Deluca, Dr. John Murphy. In particular, I would like to note the invaluable assistance rendered by members of my committee, Dr. Edward Panetta, Dr. Celeste Condit, Dr. Thomas Conley, and especially Dr. Sarah Spence, whose Virgil seminar initiated my inquiry into Roman rhetoric. The mentorship provided by three individuals, however, has left an indelible imprint upon me. First and foremost credit must be given John Lawson, the greatest high school debate coach in Michigan. I do not believe that I would have attended college if I did not encounter you. Second, I thank George Ziegelmueller, who mentored me throughout college, graduate school, and my first teaching job. Finally, I thank Tom Lessl, who taught me how to think and write as a scholar. There is a fable about a soldier who is able to shoot an arrow through a boulder because he believed in his commander. For me, the task of completing this dissertation has been like shooting an arrow through a boulder. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.………..……….……...…………………………………………......v CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………......1 Problem Area....…..……………………………………………………………….1 Justifying This Historical Inquiry……..…………………………………………..3 Justifying This Theoretical Inquiry………………….…………………………….5 Literature Review………………………………………………………………….8 2 CICERO’S PRO LEGE MANILIA………………………………………………...35 Introduction………………………………………………………………………35 Contional Politics……………………………………………………………...…43 Pro Lege Analysis………………………………………………………………..44 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….53 3 RITUAL AND POWER IN IMPERIAL ROMAN RHETORIC………………….55 Introduction………………………………………………………………………55 Res Gestae………………………………………………………………………..58 Auctoritas………………………………………………………………………...61 Ethos……………………………………………………………………………..63 Ceremony………………………………………………………………………...67 Religious Archeology……………………………………………………………72 vii Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………79 4 PLINY’S ACTIO GRATIARUM…...………………………………………………83 Introduction………………………………………………………………………83 Pliny’s Actio……………………………………………………………………...90 Religious Performance…………………………………………………………...95 Optimus…………………………………………………………………………101 Consecrated Space……………………………………………………………...104 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………...108 5 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………..110 6 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………...118 1 Chapter One: Introduction This dissertation contains a series of case studies that identify critical and distinguishing features of Roman ceremonial rhetoric in the late Republican and early Imperial periods.1 Such a project contributes to the study of classical rhetoric in two significant ways: (1) it identifies and elaborates Roman religious practices as a critical facet of Roman rhetoric and (2) its examination of Pre- and Post-Augustan texts and rhetorical artifacts highlights important cultural and historical features of epideictic rhetoric. Inquiry into the distinct setting of Roman epideictic corrects a critical flaw in the writing of rhetorical history--the assumption of rhetorical transparency and cultural uniformity between Greeks and Romans. Problem Area As revealed most clearly in the rhetorical events associated with the Roman Empire’s sacred spaces, epideictic practices coincided with a range of ceremonial activities. And given that the Roman laudation was often coordinated with a range of other corresponding ceremonial events, control over sacred space and ritual processes was a critical source of political power. An analysis of the spatial, temporal, and visual designs linking epideictic to civic life can clarify how coordination and planning augmented the force of rhetorical displays during festivals, ceremonies, and even public deliberations. No single text or event can illustrate all of the dimensions of Rome’s ritually based rhetorical culture, but a collection of surviving rhetorical artifacts from the Pre- and Post-Augustan period 2 aid in rough approximations of its most salient features. Cicero’s (c. 106-42 B.C.E.) Pro Lege Manilia, an under-examined text suffused with elements of praise, signaled the pragmatic utility of using epideictic themes in an agonistic setting. This speech reveals Cicero’s understanding of epideictic’s practical uses and clarifies subsequent epideictic developments more clearly expressed in the rhetorical artifacts of the principate. One notable text constructed in the early Imperial period is the Res Gestae of Augustus (63 B.C.E. – 13 C.E.), a monumental adaptation of epideictic techniques to an unprecedented political, cultural and rhetorical landscape. Augustus’ inscription discloses some of the connections linking epideictic rhetoric to Imperial political and religious ceremonies, and it signals the consolidation of religious power under the principate. In an effort to bolster the principate’s political agenda through religious ritual, the Augustan regime revived time-honored customs by “rediscovering” earlier ceremonies and by thematically framing imperial messages to maximize the effectiveness of the cultural knowledge created in these ceremonies. In addition to conveying an “official” interpretation of his principate and governing ideology, Augustus’ Res Gestae contains a record of officially formulated messages integrating political propaganda into ritual. The ceremonial emphasis in Augustus’ Res Gestae clarifies instances when subsequent Emperors—Trajan (53 C.E. – 117 C.E.) for instance—used civic and religious spaces to secure ritualized sources of power. A final text, the Actio Gratiarum of Pliny (c. 62 C.E. – 115), generally