: ON THE IDEAL (DE ORATORE) PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Jakob Wisse, James M. May, Marcus Tullius Cicero | 384 pages | 01 Apr 2001 | Oxford University Press Inc | 9780195091984 | English | New York, United States Summary Of De Oratore By Cicero

Mucius praises Crassus and tells he did even too much to cope with their enthusiasm. Sulpicius agrees but adds that they want to know something more about the rules of the art of ; if Crassus tells more deeply about them, they will be fully satisfied. The young pupils there are eager to know the methods to apply. What about—Crassus replies—if we ask Antonius now to expose what he keeps inside him and has not yet shown to us? He told that he regretted to let him escape a little handbook on the eloquence. The others agree and Crassus asks Antonius to expose his point of view. Antonius offers his perspective, pointing out that he will not speak about any art of oratory, that he never learnt, but on his own practical use in the law courts and from a brief treaty that he wrote. He decides to begin his case the same way he would in court, which is to state clearly the subject for discussion. In this way, the speaker cannot wander dispersedly and the issue is not understood by the disputants. For example, if the subject were to decide what exactly is the art of being a general, then he would have to decide what a general does, determine who is a General and what that person does. Then he would give examples of generals, such as Scipio and Fabius Maximus and also and . And if he were defining what a statesman is, he would give a different definition, characteristics of men who fit this definition, and specific examples of men who are statesmen, he would mention Publius Lentulus , , Quintus Cecilius Metellus , Publius Cornelius Scipio , Gaius Lelius and many others, both Romans and foreign persons. If he were defining an expert of laws and traditions iuris consultus , he would mention Sextus Aelius , Manius Manilius and Publius Mucius. The same would be done with musicians, poets, and those of lesser arts. The philosopher pretends to know everything about everything, but, nevertheless he gives himself a definition of a person trying to understand the essence of all human and divine things, their nature and causes; to know and respect all practices of right living. Antonius disagrees with Crassus' definition of orator, because the last one claims that an orator should have a knowledge of all matters and disciplines. On the contrary, Antonius believes that an orator is a person, who is able to use graceful words to be listened to and proper arguments to generate persuasion in the ordinary court proceedings. He asks the orator to have a vigorous voice, a gentle gesture and a kind attitude. In Antonius' opinion, Crassus gave an improper field to the orator, even an unlimited scope of action: not the space of a court, but even the government of a state! And it seemed so strange that Scaevola approved that, despite he obtained consensus by the Senate, although having spoken in a very synthetic and poor way. A good senator does not become automatically a good orator and vice versa. These roles and skills are very far each from the other, independent and separate. Marcus Cato , Publius Cornelius , Quintus Metellus , Gaius Lelius , all eloquent persons, used very different means to ornate their speeches and the dignity of the state [36]. Neither nature nor any law or tradition prohibit that a man is skilled in more than one discipline. Therefore, if was, at the same time, the most eloquent and the most powerful politician in Athens, we cannot conclude that both these distinct qualities are necessary to the same person. If Publius Crassus was, at the same time, an excellent orator and an expert of right, not for this we can conclude that the knowledge of right is inside the abilities of the oratory. Indeed, when a person has a reputation in one art and then he learns well another, he seems that the second one is part of his first excellence. One could call poets those who are called Physikoi by the Greeks, just because the , the physicist, wrote an excellent poem. But the philosophers themselves, although claiming that they study everything, dare to say that geometry and music belong to the philosopher, just because has been unanimously acknowledged excellent in these disciplines. In conclusion, if we want to put all the disciplines as a necessary knowledge for the orator, Antonius disagrees, and prefers simply to say that the oratory needs not to be nude and without ornate; on the contrary, it needs to be flavoured and moved by a graceful and changing variety. A good orator needs to have listened a lot, watched a lot, reflecting a lot, thinking and reading, without claiming to possess notions, but just taking honourable inspiration by others' creations. Antonius finally acknowledges that an orator must be smart in discussing a court action and never appear as an inexperienced soldier nor a foreign person in an unknown territory. Antonius disagrees with Crassus' opinion: an orator does not need to have enquired deeply the human soul, behaviour and motions—that is, study philosophy—to excite or calm the souls of the audience. Antonius admires those who dedicated their time to study philosophy nor despites them, the width of their culture and the importance of this discipline. Yet, he believes that it is enough for the Roman orator to have a general knowledge of human habits and not to speak about things that clash with their traditions. Which orator, to put the judge against his adversary, has been ever in trouble to ignore anger and other passions, and, instead, used the philosophers' arguments? Some of these latest ones claim that one's soul must be kept away from passions and say it is a crime to excite them in the judges' souls. Other philosophers, more tolerant and more practical, say that passions should be moderate and smooth. On the contrary! The orator picks all these passions of every day life and amplifies them, making them greater and stronger. At the same time he praises and gives appeal to what is commonly pleasant and desirable. He does not want to appear the wise among the stupids: by that, he would seem unable and a Greek with a poor art; otherwise they would hate to be treated as stupid persons. Instead, he works on every feeling and thought, driving them so that he need not to discuss philosophers' questions. We need a very different kind of man, Crassus, we need an intelligent, smart man by his nature and experience, skilled in catching thoughts, feelings, opinions, hopes of his citizens and of those who want to persuade with his speech. The orator shall feel the people pulse, whatever their kind, age, social class, investigate the feelings of those who is going to speak to. Let him keep the books of the philosophers for his relax or free time; the ideal state of Plato had concepts and ideals of justice very far from the common life. Would you claim, Crassus, that the virtue virtus become slave of the precept of these philosophers? No, it shall alway be anyway free, even if the body is captured. Then, the Senate not only can but shall serve the people; and which philosopher would approve to serve the people, if the people themselves gave him the power to govern and guide them? Antonius then reports a past episode: blamed Crassus before the Senate spoke not only parum commode in few adequate way , but also turpiter et flagitiose shamefully and in scandalous way. Rutilius Rufus himself blamed also Servius Galba , because he used pathetical devices to excite compassion of the audience, when Lucius Scribonius sued him in a trial. In the same proceeding, Marcus Cato , his bitter and dogged enemy, made a hard speech against him, that after inserted in his Origines. He would be convicted, if he would not have used his sons to rise compassion. Rutilius strongly blamed such devices and, when he was sued in court, chose not to be defended by a great orator like Crassus. Rather, he preferred to expose simply the truth and he faced the cruel feeling of the judges without the protection of the oratory of Crassus. Rutilius, a Roman and a consularis , wanted to imitate . He chose to speak himself for his defence, when he was on trial and convicted to death. He preferred not to ask mercy or to be an accused, but a teacher for his judges and even a master of them. When , an excellent orator, brought him a written speech to learn by heart, he read it and found it very good but added: "You seem to have brought to me elegant shoes from Sicyon , but they are not suited for a man": he meant that the written speech was brilliant and excellent for an orator, but not strong and suited for a man. After the judges condemned him, they asked him which punishment he would have believed suited for him and he replied to receive the highest honour and live for the rest of his life in the Pritaneus, at the state expenses. This increased the anger of the judges, who condemned him to death. Therefore, if this was the end of Socrates, how can we ask the philosophers the rules of eloquence?. I do not question whether philosophy is better or worse than oratory; I only consider that philosophy is different by eloquence and this last one can reach the perfection by itself. Antonius understands that Crassus has made a passionate mention to the civil right, a grateful gift to Scaevola, who deserves it. As Crassus saw this discipline poor, he enriched it with ornate. Antonius acknowledges his opinion and respect it, that is to give great relevance to the study of civil right, because it is important, it had always a very high honour and it is studied by the most eminent citizens of Rome. But pay attention, Antonius says, not to give the right an ornate that is not its own. If you said that an expert of right iuris consultus is also an orator and, equally, an orator is also an expert of right, you would put at the same level and dignity two very bright disciplines. Nevertheless, at the same time, you admit that an expert of right can be a person without the eloquence we are discussing on, and, the more, you acknowledge that there were many like this. On the contrary, you claim that an orator cannot exist without having learnt civil right. Therefore, in your opinion, an expert of right is no more than a skilled and smart handler of right; but given that an orator often deals with right during a legal action, you have placed the science of right nearby the eloquence, as a simple handmaiden that follows her proprietress. You blame—Antonius continues—those advocates, who, although ignoring the fundamentals of right face legal proceedings, I can defend them, because they used a smart eloquence. But I ask you, Antonius, which benefit would the orator have given to the science of right in these trials, given that the expert of right would have won, not thanks to his specific ability, but to another's, thanks to the eloquence. I was told that Publius Crassus , when was candidate for Aedilis and Servius Galba , was a supporter of him, he was approached by a peasant for a consult. After having a talk with Publius Crassus, the peasant had an opinion closer to the truth than to his interests. Galba saw the peasant going away very sad and asked him why. After having known what he listened by Crassus, he blamed him; then Crassus replied that he was sure of his opinion by his competence on right. And yet, Galba insisted with a kind but smart eloquence and Crassus could not face him: in conclusion, Crassus demonstrated that his opinion was well founded on the books of his brother Publius Micius and in the commentaries of Sextus Aelius , but at last he admitted that Galba's thesis looked acceptable and close to the truth. There are several kinds of trials, in which the orator can ignore civil right or parts of it, on the contrary, there are others, in which he can easily find a man, who is expert of right and can support him. In my opinion, says Antonius to Crassus, you deserved well your votes by your sense of humour and graceful speaking, with your jokes, or mocking many examples from laws, consults of the Senate and from everyday speeches. You raised fun and happiness in the audience: I cannot see what has civil right to do with that. You used your extraordinary power of eloquence, with your great sense of humour and grace. Considering the allegation that the young do not learn oratory, despite, in your opinion, it is so easy, and watching those who boast to be a master of oratory, claiming that it is very difficult,. For ordinary and everyday situations, cannot we have a generic knowledge? Cannot we be taught about civil right, in so far as we feel not stranger in our country? But the notions that an orator needs are so many, that I am afraid he would be lost, wasting his energy in too many studies. Nonetheless, no practising orator would be advised by me to care about this voice like the Greek and the tragic actors, who repeat for years exercise of declamation, while seating; then, every day, they lay down and lift their voice steadily and, after having made their speech, they sit down and they recall it by the most sharp tone to the lowest, like they were entering again into themselves. The Romans behave much better, claiming that law and right were guaranteed by persons of authority and fame. As for the old age, that you claim relieved by loneliness, thanks to the knowledge of civil right, who knows that a large sum of money will relieve it as well? Roscius loves to repeat that the more he will go on with the age the more he will slow down the accompaniment of a flute-player and will make more moderate his chanted parts. If he, who is bound by rhythm and meter, finds out a device to allow himself a bit of a rest in the old age, the easier will be for us not only to slow down the rhythm, but to change it completely. You, Crassus, certainly know how many and how various are the way of speaking,. Nonetheless, your present quietness and solemn eloquence is not at al less pleasant than your powerful energy and tension of your past. Many orators, such as Scipio and Laelius , which gained all results with a single tone, just a little bit elevated, without forcing their lungs or screaming like Servius Galba. Do you fear that you home will no longer be frequented by citizens? On the contrary I am waiting the loneliness of the old age like a quiet harbour: I think that free time is the sweetest comfort of the old age [46]. As regards the rest, I mean history, knowledge of public right, ancient traditions and samples, they are useful. If the young pupils wish to follow your invitation to read everything, to listen to everything and learn all liberal disciplines and reach a high cultural level, I will not stop them at all. I have only the feeling that they have not enough time to practice all that and it seems to me, Crassus, that you have put on these young men a heavy burden, even if maybe necessary to reach their objective. Indeed, both the exercises on some court topics and a deep and accurate reflexion, and your stilus pen , that properly you defined the best teacher of eloquence, need much effort. Even comparing one's oration to another's and improvise a discussion on another's script, either to praise or to criticize it, to strengthen it or to refute it, need much effort both on memory and on imitation. This heavy requirements can discourage more than encourage persons and should more properly be applied to actors than to orators. Indeed the audience listens to us, the orators, the most of the times, even if we are hoarse, because the subject and the lawsuit captures the audience; on the contrary, if Roscius has a little bit of hoarse voice, he is booed. Eloquence has many devices, not only the hearing to keep the interest high and the pleasure and the appreciation. Antonius agrees with Crassus for an orator, who is able to speak in such a way to persuade the audience, provided that he limits himself to the daily life and the to the court, renouncing to other studies, although noble and honourable. Let him imitate , who compensated his handicaps by a strong passion, dedition and obstinate application to oratory. He was indeed stuttering, but through his exercise, he became able to speak much more clearly than anyone else. Besides, having a short breath, he trained himself to retain the breath, so that he could pronounce two elevations and two remissions of voice in the same sentence. We shall incite the young to use all their efforts, but the other things that you put before, are not part of the duties and of the tasks of the orator. Crassus replied: "You believe that the orator, Antonius, is a simple man of the art; on the contrary, I believe that he, especially in our State, shall not be lacking of any equipment, I was imaging something greater. On the other hand, you restricted all the task of the orator within borders such limited and restricted, that you can more easily expose us the results of your studies on the orator's duties and on the precepts of his art. But I believe that you will do it tomorrow: this is enough for today and Scaevola too, who decided to go to his villa in , will have a bit of a rest. Let us take care of our health as well". All agreed and they decided to adjourn the debate. Antonius surmises "that oratory is no more than average when viewed as an art". In contrast, oratory is based upon opinions. Antonius asserts that oratory is "a subject that relies on falsehood, that seldom reaches the level of real knowledge, that is out to take advantage of people's opinions and often their delusions" Cicero, Still, oratory belongs in the realm of art to some extent because it requires a certain kind of knowledge to "manipulate human feelings" and "capture people's goodwill". Antonius believes that nothing can surpass the perfect orator. Other arts do not require eloquence, but the art of oratory cannot function without it. Additionally, if those who perform any other type of art happen to be skilled in speaking it is because of the orator. But, the orator cannot obtain his oratorical skills from any other source. In this portion of Book II Antonius offers a detailed description of what tasks should be assigned to an orator. He revisits Crassus' understanding of the two issues that eloquence, and thus the orator, deals with. The first issue is indefinite while the other is specific. The indefinite issue pertains to general questions while the specific issue addresses particular persons and matters. Antonius begrudgingly adds a third genre of laudatory speeches. If any of these qualities are absent then the orator should include how the person managed to succeed without them or how the person bore their loss with humility. Antonius also maintains that history is one of the greatest tasks for the orator because it requires a remarkable "fluency of diction and variety". Antonius begins the section on invention by proclaiming the importance of an orator having a thorough understanding of his case. He faults those who do not obtain enough information about their cases, thereby making themselves look foolish. Antonius continues by discussing the steps that he takes after accepting a case. He considers two elements: "the first one recommends us or those for whom we are pleading, the second is aimed at moving the minds of our audience in the direction we want" Cicero, He then lists the three means of persuasion that are used in the art of oratory: "proving that our contentions are true, winning over our audience, and inducing their minds to feel any emotion the case may demand" Cicero, He discerns that determining what to say and then how to say it requires a talented orator. Also, Antonius introduces ethos and pathos as two other means of persuasion. Antonius believes that an audience can often be persuaded by the prestige or the reputation of a man. Furthermore, within the art of oratory it is critical that the orator appeal to the emotion of his audience. He insists that the orator will not move his audience unless he himself is moved. In his conclusion on invention Antonius shares his personal practices as an orator. He tells Sulpicius that when speaking his ultimate goal is to do good and if he is unable to procure some kind of good then he hopes to refrain from inflicting harm. Antonius offers two principles for an orator when arranging material. The first principle is inherent in the case while the second principle is contingent on the judgment of the orator. Antonius shares the story of Simonides of Ceos the man who he credits with introducing the art of memory. He then declares that memory is important to the orator because "only those with a powerful memory know what they are going to say, how far they will pursue it, how they will say it, which points they have already answered and which still remain" Cicero, I De Oratore Edited by A. Latin text with translation in French. My Dashboard Get Published. Sign in with your eLibrary Card close. We appreciate your support of online literacy with your eLibrary Card Membership. Your membership has expired. Flag as Inappropriate. Email this Article. De oratore. Marcus Tullius Cicero. Personal life Political career Writings. De Imperio Cn. Categories Articles with links needing disambiguation from December Works of Cicero on oratory Mnemonics Books about tropes. Funding for USA. Congress, E-Government Act of Crowd sourced content that is contributed to World Heritage Encyclopedia is peer reviewed and edited by our editorial staff to ensure quality scholarly research articles. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Logic, Cicero, Linguistics, Logos, Propaganda. Epistemology, Socrates, Metaphysics, Rhetoric, . Cicero, De oratore, Wikisource, Dialogue, Aristotle. Basel, Cicero, Milan, Bede, Cologne. All rights reserved. Flag as Inappropriate This article will be permanently flagged as inappropriate and made unaccessible to everyone. Email this Article Email Address:. Table of Contents Introduction 1. The Roman background: politics and culture 1. Orators in politics 1. Greeks and Romans 2. De oratore in Cicero's life 3. The subject: the ideal orator 4. Form I: Dialogue technique 5. Form II: "Rhetorical" techniques and the way to read De oratore 6. Background I: The quarrel between rhetoricians and philosophers, and Cicero's position in it 6. Brief history of the quarrel 6. The issues in the quarrel: Cicero's position 7. Background II: Traditional rhetoric and Cicero's alternative 7. Preliminary questions 7. The basic systems and Cicero's choice 7. The individual activities 8. Background III: Cicero's "sources" 9. This translation The text Full text of "Cicero. De oratore"

Full view. Green Library. D6 M39 Unknown. More options. Find it at other libraries via WorldCat Limited preview. Contributor May, James M. Wisse, Jakob. Bibliography Includes bibliographical references p. Contents 1: The Roman background: politics and culture-- 1. Cast in the lively literary form of a dialogue, the work presents a daring view of the orator as the master of all language communcation, while still emphasizing his role at the heart of Roman society and politics. Cicero thus goes far beyond the rules of the standard manuals of the rhetoricians, whom he criticizes for their rigidity and narrowness. But in the age-old quarrel between the philosophers and the rhetoricians, he doesn not side with the philosophers either. His picture of the ideal orator consitutes Cicero's own, original synthesis between the two positions. This translation by May and Wisse aims to be accessible as well as accurate. The translation is based on, and contributes to, the many advances in recent scholarship of De oratore itself, as well as of the many aspects of ancient rhetoric, philosophy, and history relevant to the work. It reflects the many variations of Cicero's style, which are essential ingredients of the work, signalling irony, seriousness, arguments, and climaxes. The extensive annotation, the introduction, the glossary, and the full index of names and places make this book completely accessible to the non- specialist, as well as offering new insights to the specialist. Bibliographic information. Publication date ISBN pbk. In reality, it was the very opposite. Dagnija stuttered as a child, and this fear of failure and unpronounceable words kept her quiet and feeling standoffish. In the end her stubbornness won. Continuously practicing public speaking with recitation groups, she regained her courage to speak in front of an audience. Laura played the violin and piano from an early age, and performed complicated compositions in concerts. However, when asked to speak publicly and express her own thoughts on stage later in life, she was overrun by crippling stage fright. Both of us have a story about overcoming this fear. Just as with skydiving, climbing a mountain to the highest peak or holding a spider, public speaking can also be a cathartic moment of self- discovery. We've experienced it first hand, and we know that practicing public speaking while using coaching techniques can lead you to higher self-esteem, drive and trust in your own abilities. Everyone has the potential within us to outwardly present our best selves, but it's the decision to act on it that matters. It's not possible to change the world while sitting in the corner by yourself. We waste a lot of time giving in to fear and creating disaster scenarios in our heads. Humility must be eradicated for fear to be overcome. The spotlight of a stage is just another challenge we must take on. It's not easy, but we can help you get prepared. Each employee was able to get out of their comfort zone and face the fear of being on stage. I definitely recommend Oratore to everyone to prepare employees for presenting themselves. We are on the road to excellence in everything. But also the need to invest serious work to have a good result. And in practice - what can be done to achieve good results. That is exactly what we wanted to achieve. Sign up. Individual coaching and mentoring. Defining goals and potential. Persuasive speaking structure. Creating an authentic style. Body language, image. Cicero, De Oratore : index of translation

Crassus disclaims it himself, but maintains it as the ideal. Antonius says that he has never heard real eloquence, though it may be a possibihty. This is a question rather for a Greek. But when pressed he says that there is none, in the strict sense, although if one reduces the results of observation and experience to a system one may produce a sort of art. He is urged to give the results of his own experience. Antonius agrees : orators are more exposed to criticism than even actors. He praises the natural gifts of Sulpicius and the zeal of Cotta ; they only need training, so he will describe his own method. Such a system though useful has not in fact been the guide of the ablest orators. Wide knowledge is essential. The true orator possesses dignity and force A general acquaint- ance with its principles is all that a busy man can or need attain ; details should be got up for the occasion. The dialogue following will constitute a treatise on rhetoric based on more practical experi- ence than that possessed by previous authors. Catulus and Caesar arrive, and after some conversation about the employment of leisure, Antonius begins to state his own case. The rhetoricians formulate no rules for writing history, nor for the other forms of literature that require eloquence. The same is true of the discussion of abstract subjects, for which no rules of style are needed. Any student who has mastered the more difficult problems will need no directions as to the easier ones. Forensic oratory is really the most difficult kind of oratory. Antonius criticizes some superfluous or misleading rules of rhetoric. The first requisite is natural endow- ment, as the instance of Sulpicius shows. But men of originality can dispense with a model. The hand- ling of these methods needs practice. Antonius ofFers to treat of the invention of arguments, but on request consents to deal with the method of stating them. The case should be considered under some general proposition locus ; it is a mistake to labour the distinction between general propositions and particular instances, since the vast majority of cases can all be brought under a few general heads. The sources of arguments for deahng with these should be famiUar by nature, theory and particularly study. He develops the Roman attitude to philosophy. Antonius holds that the Stoic system is of no use to the orator, but he praises the acuteness of Aristotle and the dialectic of Carneades. But in some cases to excite emotion is a mistake ; and when done it must be done in the proper manner, and without exaggeration or hurry, and interspersed with conciliatory passages. It is of two kinds ; it cannot be taught ; its efFectiveness illus- trated from speeches of Crassus ; rules for its criticism. Rules for the various parts of a speech. Fate of the other characters in this dialogue. Style is not really separable from matter. Similarly various styles of oratory are all admirable. Delivery actio , including gesture and voice. Conclusion : complimented. Editions De Oratore was first printed at Subiaco about , in fact it was the very first book printed in Italy and three other Italian editions followed in fifteen years. All subsequent editions have been supplanted by that of A. Wilkins, Oxford, , the earhest con- taining a commentary in Enghsh. Its introduction is a mine of information on the text and contents of the book and the earlier history of rhetoric in Greece and Rome. Text The present edition has been printed from the text of V. Betolaud, Paris, no date. A few corrections have been introduced from the text and notes of Wilkins, and a few variants are noted at the foot of the page. For an exhaustive account of the mss. It may be noted here that the accepted text is based on two primary mss. Though fuU of obvious errors in copying, they are free from dehberate corrections ; all three however are muti- lated, and they leave considerable gaps in the text unattested. The same is the case with a more numerous second set, of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, which are manifestly based on one or other of the above or on their common source, A third set, all of a later date, give a complete text ; but they do not show the same amount of agreement as the two earlier groups, and also their value is even more reduced by the probabihty that they have been largely corrupted by conjectural emendation. Rhetorical Treatises. Caecilium In C. Verrem Actio I In C. De Imperio Cn. Philosophical Treatises. Tusculan Disputations XIX. D. Cogitanti mihi saepenumero, et memoria vetera repetenti, perbeati fuisse, Quinte frater, illi videri solent, qui in optima republica, cum et honoribus, et rerum gestarum gloria florerent, eum vitae cursxmi tenere potuerunt, ut vel in negotio sine periculo, vel in otio cum dignitate esse possent. Ac fuit quidem, cum mihi quoque initium requiescendi, atque ani- mum ad utriusque nostrum praeclara studia re- ferendi, fore iustum et prope ab omnibus con- cessum arbitrarer, si infinitus forensium rerum labor, et ambitionis occupatio, decursu honorum, 2 etiam aetatis flexu, constitisset. Quam spem cogi- tationum et consiliorum meorum, cum graves com- munium temporum, tum varii nostri casus fefellerunt. When, as often happens, brother Quintus, I introduo- think over and recall the days of old, those men tion. The always seem to me to have been singularly happy cumstances. And time was when I used to imagine that I too should become entitled, with wellnigh universal approval, to some oppor- tunity of leisure and of again directing my mind to the sublime pursuits beloved of us both, when once, the career of office complete and life too taking the turn towards its close," the endless toil of pubHc speak- ing and the business of canvassing should have come 2 to a standstill. The hopes so born of my thoughts and plans have been cheated, ahke by the disastrous times of public peril and by my manifold personal CICERO Nam qui locus quietis et tranquillitatis plenis- simus fore videbatur, in eo maximae moles molestia- rum, et turbulentissimae tempestates exstiterunt. Neque vero nobis cupientibus atque exoptantibus fructus otii datus est ad eas artes, quibus a pueris dediti fuimus, celebrandas, inter nosque 3 recolendas. Nam prima aetate incidimus in ipsam perturbationem disciplinae veteris ; et consulatu devenimus in medium rerum omnium certamen atque discrimen ; et hoc tempus omne post consula- tum obiecimus eis fluctibus, qui, per nos a communi peste depulsi, in nosmet ipsos redundarunt. Sed tamen in his vel asperitatibus rerum, vel angustiis temporis, obsequar studiis nostris ; et, quantum mihi vel fraus inimicorum, vel causae amicorum, vel respublica tribuet otii, ad scribendum potissimum 4 conferam. Tibi vero, frater, neque hortanti deero, neque roganti, nam neque auctoritate quisquam apud me plus valere te potest, neque voluntate. Ac mihi repetenda est veteris cuiusdam memoriae non sane satis explicata recordatio, sed, ut arbitror, apta ad id, quod requiris, ut cognoscas quae viri omnium eloquentissimi clarissimique sen- 6 serint de omni ratione dicendi. Vis enim, ut mihi saepe dixisti, quoniam quae pueris aut adolescentulis nobis ex commentariolis nostris inchoata ac rudia exciderunt, vix hac aetate digna, et hoc usu, quem " Cicero was about eightecn years old at the outbreak of the civll strife between Marius and . For the time of life which promised to be fullest of quiet and peace proved to be that during which the greatest volume of vexations and the most turbulent tempests arose. And notwithstand- ing my desire, and indeed my profound longing, no enjoyment of leisure was granted me, for the cultiva- tion and renewed pursuit, in your company, of those arts to which from boyhood you and I have been 3 devoted. For in my early years" I came just upon the days when the old order was overthrown ; then by my consulship I was drawn into the midst of a universal struggle and crisis, and my whole time ever since that consulship I have spent in stemming those billows which, stayed by my efForts from ruining the nation, rolled in a flood upon myself. But none the less, though events are thus harassing and my time so restricted, I will hearken to the call of our studies, and every moment of leisure allowed me by the perfidy of my enemies, the advocacy of my friends and my political duties, I vdll dedicate first and fore- 4 most to writing. And when you, brother, exhort and request me, I will not fail you, for no man's authority or wish can have greater weight with me than yours. Nam, quocumque te animo et cogitatione converteris, permultos excellentes in quoque genere videbis, non 7 mediocrium artiimi, sed prope maximarum. Quis enim est, qui, si clarorimi hominum scientiam rerum gestarum vel utilitate vel magnitudine metiri velit, non anteponat oratori imperatorem? Quis autem dubitet, quin belli duces praestantissimos ex hac una civitate paene innmnerabiles, in dicendo autem ex- 8 cellentes vix paucos proferre possimus? For in whatever direction you turn your mind and thoughts, you will find very many excelling in every kind, not merely of ordinary arts, but of such 7 as are aknost the greatest. Who, for instance, in seeking to measure the understanding possessed by illustrious men, whether by the usefulness or the grandeur of their achievements, would not place the general above the orator? Yet who could doubt that, from this country alone, we could cite almost innumerable examples of leaders in war of the greatest distinction, but of men excelhng in oratory 8 a mere handful? Ac, ne quis forte cum aliis studiis, quae reconditis in artibus, atque in quadam varietate litterarum versentur, magis hanc dicendi rationem, quam cum imperatoris laude, aut cum boni senatoris prudentia comparandam putet, convertat animmn ad ea ipsa artium genera, circum- spiciatque, qui in eis floruerint, quamque multi : sic facillime, quanta oratorum sit semperque fuerit paucitas, iudicabit. Quis ignorat, ei, qui mathematici vocantur, quanta in obscuritate rerum, et quam recondita in arte, et multiplici subtihque versentur? Quis musicis, quis huic studio htte- rarum, quod profitentur ei, qui granunatici vocantur, penitus se dedidit, quin omnem illarum artium paene infinitam vim et materiam scientiae cogitatione comprehenderit? And that no one may think that other pursuits, which have to do with abstruse branches of study, and what I may call the varied field of learning, should be compared with this art of oratory, rather than the merits of a commander or the wisdom of a statesman-hke senator, let him turn his attention to these very kinds of art, and look around to see who, and how many, have been distinguished therein ; in this way he will most readily judge how scarce orators are now, and ever have been. For indeed you cannot fail to remember that Bminencein the most learned men hold what the Greeks call rare. Who does not know, as regards the so-called mathematicians, what very obscure sub- jects, and how abstruse, manifold, and exact an art they are engaged in? Yet in this pursuit so many men have displayed outstanding excellence, that hardly one seems to have worked in real earnest at this branch of knowledge without attaining the object of his desire. Who has devoted himself wholly to the cult of the Muses, or to this study of literature, which is professed by those who are known as men of letters, without bringing within the compass of his knowledge and observation the almost boundless range and subject- matter of those arts? Quod hoc etiam mirabilius debet videri, quia ceterarum artium studia fere reconditis atque abditis e fontibus hauriuntur ; dicendi autem omnis ratio in medio posita, conmiuni quodam in usu, atque in hominum more et sermone versatur : ut in ceteris id maxime excellat, quod longissime sit ab imperi- torum intellegentia sensuque disiunctum, in dicendo autem vitium vel maximum sit a vulgari genere orationis, atque a consuetudine communis sensus abhorrere. Ac ne illud quidem vere dici potest, aut plures ceteris artibus inservire, aut maiore delectatione, aut spe uberiore, aut praemiis ad perdiscendum ampUoribus commoveri. Atque ut omittam Grae- ciam, quae semper eloquentiae princeps esse voluit, atque illas omnium doctrinarum inventrices Athenas, in quibus simima dicendi vis et inventa est et per- fecta : in hac ipsa civitate profecto nulla unquam vehementius, quam eloquentiae studia viguerunt. Hense, Hamecker, Wilkins and Stangl. And this should seem even more mar- vellous because the subjects of the other arts are derived as a rule from hidden and remote sources, while the whole art of oratory hes open to the view, and is concerned in some measure with the common practice, custom, and speech of mankind, so that, whereas in all other arts that is most excellent which is farthest removed from the under- standing and mental capacity of the untrained, in oratory the very cardinal sin is to depart from the language of everyday hfe, and the usage approved by the sense of the community. In fact, to say nothing of Greece, which has ever claimed the leading part in eloquence, and of Athens, that discoverer of all learning, where the supreme power of oratory was both invented and perfected, in this city of our own assuredly no studies have ever had a more vigorous hfe than those having to do with the art of speaking. Ac primo quidem totius rationis ignari, qui neque exercitationis ullam viam, neque aliquod praeceptum artis esse arbitra- rentur, tantum, quantum ingenio et cogitatione poterant, consequebantur. Post autem, auditis oratoribus Graecis, cognitisque eorum litteris, ad- hibitisque doctoribus, incredibili quodam nostri 15 homines dicendi studio flagraverunt. Excitabat eos magnitudo et varietas, multitudoque in omni genere causarum, ut ad eam doctrinam, quam suo quisque studio assecutus esset, adiungeretur usus frequens, qui omnium magistrorum praecepta superaret. Erant autem huic studio maxima, quae nunc quoque sunt, exposita praemia, vel ad gratiam, vel ad opes, vel ad dignitatem. Ingenia vero ut multis rebus possu- mus iudicare nostronmi hominum multum ceteris 16 hominibus omnium gentium praestiterunt. Quibus de causis, quis non iure miretur, ex omni memoria aetatum, temporum, civitatum, tam exiguum orato- rum numerum inveniri? Sed nimirum maius est hoc quiddam, quam ho- mines opinantur, et pluribus ex artibus studiisque collectum. Quis enim aliud, in maxima discentium multi- tudine, summa magistrorum copia, praestantissimis hominum ingeniis, infinita causarum varietate, am- plissimis eloquentiae propositis praemiis, esse causae putet, nisi rei quamdam incredibilem magnitudinem, 17 ac difficultatem? At first indeed, in their complete ignorance of method, since they thought there was no definite course of training or any rules of art, they used to attain what skill they could by means of their natural abiUty and of reflection. But later, having heard the Greek orators, gained acquaintance with their literature and called in Greek teachers, our people were fired with a really incredible enthusi- 1. The importance, variety, and frequency of current suits of all sorts aroused them so effectually, that, to the learning which each man had acquired by his own efforts, plenty of practice was added, as being better than the maxims of all the masters. In those days too, as at present, the prizes open to this study were supreme, in the way of popularity, wealth, and reputation ahke. As for ability again — there are many things to show it — our fellow-countrymen have far excelled the men of 16 every other race. And considering all this, who would not rightly marvel that, in all the long record of ages, times, and states, so small a number of orators is to be found? But the truth is that this oratory is a greater thing, and has its sources in more arts and branches of study, than people suppose. For,where the number of students is verygreat, its wide the supply of masters of the very best, the quahty of thrstudent'- natural ability outstanding, the variety of issues un- hmited, the prizes open to eloquence exceedingly splendid, what else could anyone think to be the cause, unless it be the really incredible vastness and diffi- 17 culty of the subject? To begin with, a knowledge of very many matters must be grasped, without which 13 CICERO denda rerum plurimarum, sine qua verborum volu- bilitas inanis atque irridenda est ; et ipsa oratio conformanda, non solum electione, sed etiam con- structione verborum ; et omnes animorum motus, quos hominum generi rerum natura tribuit, penitus pernoscendi ; quod omnis vis ratioque dicendi in eorum, qui audiunt, mentibus, aut sedandis, aut excitandis expromenda est. Accedat eodem oportet lepos quidam facetiaeque, et eruditio libero digna, celeritasque et brevitas et respondendi, et laces- sendi, subtili venustate, atque urbanitate coniuncta. Nam quid ego de actione ipsa plura dicam? Quid dicam de thesauro rerum omnium, memoria? To this there should be added a certain humour, flashes of wit, the culture befitting a gentleman, and readi- ness and terseness ahke in repelhng and in deUvering the attack, the whole being combined with a dehcate 18 charm and urbanity. Further, the complete history of the past and a store of precedents must be retained in the memory, nor may a knowledge of statute law and our national law in general be omitted. And why should I go on to describe the speaker's dehvery? That needs to be controlled by bodily carriage, gesture, play of features and changing intonation of voice ; and how important that is wholly by itself, the actor's trivial art and the stage proclaim ; for there, although all are labouring to regulate the expression, the voice, and the movements of the body, everyone knows how few actors there are, or ever have been, whom we could bear to watch! What need to speak of that universal treasure-house the memory? Unless this faculty be placed in charge of the ideas and phrases which have been thought out and well weighed, even though as conceived by the orator they were of the highest excellence, we know that they will all be wasted. Ac, mea quidem sententia, nemo poterit esse omni laude cumulatus orator, nisi erit omnium rerum magnarum atque artium scientiam consecutus. Etenim ex rerum cognitione efflorescat et redundet oportet oratio ; quae, nisi subest res ab oratore percepta et cognita, inanem quamdam habet elocu- 21 tionem, et paene puerilem. Neque vero ego hoc tantum oneris imponam nostris praesertim oratoribus, in hac tanta occupatione urbis ac vitae, nihil ut eis putem Hcere nescire : quanquam vis oratoris pro- fessioque ipsa bene dicendi, hoc suscipere ac poUiceri videtur, ut omni de re, quaecumque sit proposita, ab 22 eo ornate copioseque dicatur. Sed quia non dubito, quin hoc plerisque immensum infinitumque videatur, et quod Graecos homines non solum ingenio et doctrina, sed etiam otio studioque abundantes, partitionem quamdam artium fecisse video, neque in universo genere singulos elaborasse, sed seposuisse a ceteris dictionibus eam partem dicendi, quae in forensibus disceptationibus iudiciorum, aut deUbera- 16 DE ORATORE, I. Not that I am going to lay so heavy a burden upon orators — least of all upon our own, amid all the distractions of hfe in Rome — as to hold that there is nothing of which it is per- missible for them to be ignorant, although the significance of the term " orator," and the mere act of professing eloquence, seem to undertake and to promise that every subject whatsoever, proposed to an orator, will be treated by him with both distinc- 22 tion and knowledge. But being assured that to most men this appears a vast and indeed hmitless enter- prise, and perceiving that the Greeks, men not only abounding in genius and learning, but also amply endowed with leisure and the love of study, have aheady made a sort of division of the arts, — nor did every student of theirs work over the whole field by himself, but they separated from other uses of speech that portion of oratory which is concerned with the public discussions of the law-courts and of 17 CICERO tionum versaretur, et id unum genus oratorireliquisse ; non complectar in his libris amplius, quam quod huic generi, re quaesita et multum disputata, summorum 23 hominum prope consensu est tributum ; repetamque, non ab incunabulis nostrae veteris puerilisque doctrinae quemdam ordinem praeceptorum, sed ea, quae quondam accepi in nostrorum hominum elo- quentissimorum et omni dignitate principum, dis- putatione esse versata. Non quod illa contemnam, quae Graeci, dicendi artifices et doctores, reliquerunt; sed, cum illa pateant in promptuque sint omnibus, neque ea interpretatione mea aut ornatius explicari, aut planius exprimi possint, dabis hanc veniam, mi frater, ut opinor, ut eorum, quibus summa dicendi laus a nostris hominibus concessa est, auctoritatem Graecis anteponam. Cum igitur vehementius inveheretur in causam principum consul Philippus, Drusique tri- bunatus, pro Senatus auctoritate susceptus, infringi iam debilitarique videretur ; dici mihi memini, ludorum Romanorum diebus, L. Crassum, quasi coUigendi sui causa, se in Tusculaniun contulisse ; venisse eodem, socer eius qui fuerat, Q. Mucius dicebatur, et M. Antonius, homo et consiliorum in republica socius, et summa cum Crasso familiaritate 26 coniunctus. Exierant autem cum ipso Crasso adole- " For Philippus and Drusus see Index, and for the other names referred to in this chapter see Introduction. Not that I despise what the Greek craftsmen and teachers of oratory have left us ; but that is open to the view and ready to the hand of every man, nor could it be more happily set forth or more clearly expounded by any inter- pretations of my own, so that you will forgive me, brother mine, I do beheve, if I prefer to Greek in- struction the authoritative judgement of those to whom the highest honours in eloquence have been awarded by our own fellow-countrymen. There had also gone out of town, in the company of Crassus, two young men who were very 19 CICERO scentes duo, Drusi maxime familiares, et in quibus magnam tum spem maiores natu dignitatis suae collocarant, C. Cotta, qui tum tribunatum plebis petebat, et P. Sulpicius, qui deinceps eum magistra- 26 tum petiturus putabatur. Hi primo die de tempori- bus illis, deque universa republica, quam ob causam venerant, multum inter se usque ad extremum tempus diei collocuti sunt. Quo quidem in sermone multa divinitus a tribus illis consularibus Cotta deplorata et commemorata narrabat ; ut nihil in- cidisset postea civitati mali, quod non impendere illi 27 tanto ante vidissent ; eo autem omni sermone con- fecto, tantam in Crasso humanitatem fuisse, ut, cum lauti accubuissent, toUeretur omnis illa superioris tristitia sermonis ; eaque esset in homine iucunditas, et tantus in iocando lepos, ut dies inter eos Curiae fuisse videretur, convivium Tusculani. Nam me haec tua platanus admonuit, quae non minus ad opacandum hunc locum patulis est difFusa ramis, quam illa, cuius umbram secutus est Socrates, quae mihi videtur non tam " a, b. This party, on the first day and up to a very late hour, held long debate together, concerning the crisis and the state of pohtics gener- ally, which in fact had been the occasion of their meeting. And Cotta recounted many things which were spoken of in that discussion with deep regret by the three speakers of consular rank, in such inspired fashion that in his words no evil had since befallen the community which those men, so long before, had 27 not seen to be hanging over it ; but he would add when the colloquy was completely finished, so ex- quisite was the urbanity displayed by Crassus, that, as soon as they had bathed and settled down to table, the melancholy turn taken by the earher discussion was wholly banished, and such was the man's pleasant- ness and so great the charm of his humour that it seemed as though a day in the Senate-house was closing with supper at Tusculum. Tum Crassum : Immo vero commodius etiam ; pulvinosque poposcisse, et omnes in eis sedibus, quae erant sub platano, con- sedisse dicebat. Ibi, ut ex pristino sermone relaxarentur animi omnium, solebat Cotta narrare, Crassum ser- 30 monem quemdam de studio dicendi intulisse. Qui cum ita esset exorsus, non sibi cohortandum Sul- picium et Cottam, sed magis utrumque coUaudandum videri, quod tantam iam essent facultatem adepti, ut non aequaUbus suis solum anteponerentur, sed cum maioribus natu compararentur. Neque vero mihi quidquam, inquit, praestabiHus videtur, quam posse dicendo tenere hominum coetus, mentes allicere, voluntates impellere quo velit ; unde autem velit, deducere. Haec una res in omni hbero populo, maximeque in pacatis tranquillisque civitatibus, praecipue semper floruit, semperque dominata est. Aut tam iucundum cognitu atque auditu, quam sapientibus sententiis gravibusque verbis ornata oratio et poHta? In every free nation, and most of all in communities which have attained the enjoyment of peace and tranquiUity, this one art has always flourished above the rest and ever reigned 31 supreme. For what is so marvellous as that, out of the innumerable company of mankind, a single being should arise, who either alone or with a few others can make effective a faculty bestowed by nature upon every man? Or what so pleasing to the under- standing and the ear as a speech adorned and polished with wise reflections and dignified language? Quid tam porro regium, tam liberale, tam munificum, quam opem ferre supplicibus, excitare afilictos, dare salutem, liberare periculis, retinere homines in civitate? Age vero, ne semper forum, subsellia, rostra, Curiamque meditere, quid esse potest in otio aut iucundius, aut magis proprium humanitatis, quam sermo facetus ac nuUa in re rudis? Hoc enim uno praestamus vel maxime feris, quod coUoquimur inter nos, et quod exprimere dicendo sensa possumus. Ut vero iam ad illa summa venia- mus ; quae vis aHa potuit aut dispersos homines unum in locum congregare, aut a fera agrestique vita ad hunc humanum cultum civilemque deducere, aut, iam constitutis civitatibus, leges, iudicia, iura de- 34 scribere? What function again is so kingly, so worthy of the free, so generous, as to bring help to the supphant, to raise up those that are cast down, to bestow security, to set free from peril, to maintain men in their civil rights? What too is so indispensable as to have always in your grasp weapons wherewith you can defend yourself, or challenge the wicked man, or when provoked take your revenge? For the one point in which we have our very greatest advan- tage over the brute creation is that we hold converse one with another, and can reproduce our thought in 33 word. Who therefore would not rightly admire this faculty, and deem it his duty to exert himself to the utmost in this field, that by so doing he may surpass men themselves in that particular respect wherein chiefly men are superior to animals? To come, how- ever, at length to the highest achievements of elo- quence, what other power could have been strong enough either to gather scattered humanity into one place, or to lead it out of its brutish existence in the wilderness up to our present condition of civilization as men and as citizens, or, after the establishment of social coramunities, to give shape to laws, tribunals, 34 and civic rights? And not to pursue any further instances — wellnigh countless as they are — I will 25 CICERO bilia, consecter, comprehendam brevi ; sic enim statuo, perfecti oratoris moderatione et sapientia non solimi ipsius dignitatem, sed et privatorum pluri- morum, et universae reipublicae salutem maxime contineri. Quam ob rem pergite, ut facitis, adole- scentes, atque in id studium, in quo estis, in- cumbite, ut et vobis honori, et amicis utilitati, et reipublicae emolumento esse possitis. Tum Scaevola comiter, ut solebat : Cetera, inquit, assentior Crasso, ne aut de C. Laelii, soceri mei, aut de huius, generi, aut arte, aut gloria de- traham ; sed illa duo, Crasse, vereor, ut tibi possim concedere : unum, quod ab oratoribus civitates et ab initio constitutas et saepe conservatas esse dixisti ; alterum, quod, remoto foro, concione, iudiciis, Senatu, statuisti, oratorem in omni genere sermonis et hu- 36 manitatis esse perfectum. Quis enim tibi hoc con- cesserit, aut initio genus hominum in montibus ac silvis dissipatum, non prudentium consiliis com- pulsum potius, quam disertorum oratione delinitum, se oppidis moenibusque sepsisse, aut vero rehquas utilitates, aut in constituendis, aut in conservandis civitatibus, non a sapientibus et fortibus viris, sed 37 a disertis, et ornate dicentibus esse constitutas? Go forward therefore, my young friends, in your present course, and bend your energies to that study which engages you, that so it may be in your power to become a glory to yourselves, a source of service to your friends, and profitable members of the Republic. For who is going to grant you, that in shutting themselves up in walled cities, human beings, who had been scattered origin- ally over mountain and forest, were not so much con- vinced by the reasoning of the wise as snared by the speeches of the eloquent, or again that the other beneficial arrangements involved in the establishment or the preservation of States were not shaped by the wise and valiant but by men of eloquence and fine 37 diction? Or do you perhaps think that it was by eloquence, and not rather by good counsel and singular wisdom, that the great Romulus gathered 27 CICERO gregasse, aut Sabinorum connubia coniunxisse, aut finitimorum vim repressisse eloquentia videtur, non consilio et sapientia singulari? Quid enim? Tullio, quid? Bruti esse cernimus , sed deinceps omnia, nonne plena consiliorum, inania 38 verborum videmus? Ego vero si velim et nostrae civitatis exemplis uti, et aliarum, plura proferre possim detrimenta publicis rebus, quam adiumenta, per homines eloquentissimos importata : sed, ut reliqua praetermittam, omnium mihi videor, exceptis, Crasse, vobis duobus, eloquentissimos audisse Tib. Sempronios, quorum pater, homo prudens et gravis, haudquaquam eloquens, et saepe aUas, et maxime censor, saluti reipublicae fuit. Atque is non accurata quadam orationis copia, sed nutu atque verbo libertinos in urbanas tribus transtulit ; quod nisi fecisset, rempubHcam, quam nunc vix tenemus, iamdiu nullam haberemus. At vero eius fiUi diserti, et omnibus vel naturae, vel doctrinae praesidiis ad dicendum parati, cum civitatem vel paterno consilio, vel avitis armis florentissimam accepissent, " Ti. Sempronius Gracchus, censor b. Freedmen not owning land worth at least 30, HS. The restric- tion was removed, probably in , but was restored in Is there a trace of eloquence to be discerned in Numa PompiUus? Is there a trace in Servius Tulhus? Or in the other kings who have contributed so much that is excellent to the building-up of the State? Then even after the kings had been driven forth and we note that such expulsion had itself been accomphshed by the mind of Lucius and not by his tongue , do we not see how all that foUowed was full of planning 38 and empty of talking? For my part, indeed, should I care to use examples from our own and other communities, I could cite more instances of damage done, than of aid given to the cause of the State by men of first-rate eloquence, but putting all else aside, of all men to whom I have hstened except you two, Crassus, it seems to me that the most eloquent were Tiberius and Gaius Sempronius, whose father, a man of discretion and character, but no speaker whatever, was many a time and most particu- larly when Censor the salvation of the common- wealth. His sons, on the other hand, who were accompHshed speakers and equipped for oratory with every ad- vantage of nature or training, after they had taken over a State that was flourishing exceedingly be- cause of their father's counsels and their ancestors' miUtary achievements, wrecked the commonwealth by the use of this eloquence to which, according 29 CICERO ista praeclara gubernatrice, ut ais, civitatum, elo- quentia, rempublicam dissipaverunt. Equidem et Ser. Galbam, memoria teneo, divinum hominem in dicendo, et M. Aemilium Porcinam, et C. What of those rules of private law, which have long made their home in our family, though we have no reputation for eloquence? Were these things contrived or investigated or in any way 40 taken in hand by the tribe of orators? Indeed I remember that Servius Galba, a man who spoke as a god, and Marcus AemiUus Porcina and Gaius Carbo himself, whom you crushed in your early manhood, were all of them ignorant of the statutes, all at a complete loss among the institutions of our ancestors, all uninstructed in the law of the Romans ; and except yourself, Crassus, who rather from your own love of study, than because to do so was any pecuhar duty of the eloquent, have learned the Roman system from our family, this generation of ours is unversed in law to a degree that sometimes makes one blush. Urgerent praeterea philosophorum greges, iam ab illo fonte et capite Socrate ; nihil te de bonis rebus in vita, nihil de malis, nihil de animi per- motionibus, nihil de hominum moribus, nihil de ratione vitae didicisse, nihil omnino quaesisse, nihil scire convincerent ; et, cum universi in te impetum fecissent, tum singulae familiae Utem tibi intenderent. Stoici vero nostri disputa- tionum suarum atque interrogationum laqueis te irretitum tenerent. Peripatetici autem etiam haec ipsa, quae propria oratorum putas esse adiumenta, atque ornamenta dicendi, ab se peti vincerent oportere ; ac non solum mehora, sed etiam multo plura Aristotelem Theophrastumque de his rebus, quam omnes dicendi magistros, scripsisse ostenderent. Quam ob rem ista tanta, tamque multa profitenda, Crasse, non censeo. Satis id est magnum, quod potes praestare, ut in iudiciis ea causa, quamcumque tu dicis, melior et probabilior esse videatur ; ut in concionibus et sententiis dicendis ad persuadendum tua plurimum valeat oratio ; denique ut prudentibus diserte stultis " See Appendix p. The Academy would be at your heels, compelHng you to deny in terms your own allegation, whatever it might have been. Then our own friends the Stoics would hold you entangled in the toils of their wranghngs and questionings. The Peripatetics again would prove that it is to them that men should resort for even those very aids and trappings of eloquence which you deem to be the special aids of orators, and would show you that on these subjects of yours Aristotle and wrote not only better but also much more than all the teachers of rhetoric put together. And so, Crassus, I do not think you shouldmake professions so extensiveand so numerous. What you are able to guarantee is a thing great enough, namely, that in the courts whatever case you present should appear to be the better and more plausible, that in assemblies and in the Senate your oratory should have most weight in carrying the vote, and lastly, that to the intelhgent you should seem to 33 CICERO etiam vere dicere videaris. Hoc amplius si quid poteris, non id mihi videbitur orator, sed Crassus sua quadam propria, non communi oratorum facultate, posse. Tum ille : Non sum, inquit, nescius, Scaevola, ista inter Graecos dici et disceptari solere. Audivi enim summos homines, cum quaestor ex Macedonia venissem Athenas, florente Academia, ut temporibus illis ferebatur, quod eam Charmadas, et Chtomachus, et Aeschines obtinebant. Erat etiam Metrodorus, qui cum illis una ipsum illum Carneadem diligentius audierat, hominem omnium in dicendo, ut ferebant, acerrimum et copiosissimum. Multi erant praeterea clari in philosophia et nobiles, a quibus omnibus una paene voce repelli oratorem a gubernaculis civitatum, excludi ab omni doctrina rerumque maiorum scientia, ac tantum in iudicia et conciunculas, tanquam in aliquod pistri- 47 num, detrudi et compingi videbam. Sed ego neque illis assentiebar, neque harum disputationum in- ventori et principi longe omnium in dicendo gravis- simo et eloquentissimo, Platoni, cuius tum Athenis cum Charmada diligentius legi Gorgiam : quo in libro in hoc maxime admirabar Platonem, quod mihi 84, DE ORATORE, I. If you can achieve anything more than this, therein you will seem to me not an orator but a Crassus, who is making use of some talent that is pecuharly his own and not common to orators in general. There was also Metrodorus, who, together with the others, had been a really dihgent disciple of the illustrious Carneades himself, a speaker who, for spirited and copious oratory, surpassed, it was said, all other men. Mnesarchus too was in his prime, a pupil of your great Panaetius, and Diodorus, 46 who studied under Critolaus the Peripatetic. There were many others besides, of distinguished fame as philosophers, by all of whom, with one voice as it were, I perceived that the orator was driven from the helm of State, shut out from all learning and knowledge of more important things, and thrust down and locked up exclusively in law-courts and petty httle assembhes, as if in a pounding-mill. Verbi enim controversia iamdiu torquet Graeculos homines, contentionis cupidiores quam 48 veritatis. Nam si quis hunc statuit esse oratorem, qui tantummodo in iure, aut in iudiciis possit, aut apud populum, aut in senatu copiose loqui, tamen huic ipsi multa tribuat et concedat necesse est, neque enim sine multa pertractatione omnium rerum publicarum, neque sine legum, morum, iuris scientia, neque natura hominum incognita, ac moribus, in his ipsis rebus satis callide versari et perite potest. Qui autem haec cognoverit, sine quibus ne illa quidem minima in causis quisquam recte tueri potest, quid huic abesse poterit de maximarum rerum scientia? Sin oratoris nihil vis esse, nisi composite, ornate, copiose eloqui : quaero, id ipsum qui possit assequi sine ea scientia, quam ei non conceditis? Dicendi enim virtus, nisi ei, qui dicit, ea, de quibus dicit, 49 percepta sint, exstare non potest. Quam ob rem, si ornate locutus est, sicut fertur, et mihi videtur, physicus ille Democritus : materies illa fuit physici, de qua dixit ; ornatus vero ipse verborum, oratoris putandus est. In fact controversy about a word has long tormented those Greeklings, fonder as 48 they are of argument than of truth, For, if anyone lays it down that an orator is a man whose sole power is that of speaking copiously before the Praetor or at a trial, or in the pubhc assembly or the Senate- house, none the less even to an orator thus Umited such critic must grant and allow a number of attri- butes, inasmuch as without extensive handUng of all pubhc business, without a mastery of ordinances, customs and general law, without a knowledge of human nature and character, he cannot engage, with the requisite cleverness and skill, even in these re- stricted activities. But to a man who has learned these things, without which no one can properly ensure even those primary essentials of advocacy, can there be anything lacking that belongs to the knowledge of the highest matters? If, on the other hand, you would narrow the idea of oratory to nothing but the speaking in ordered fashion, gracefuUy and copiously, how, I ask, could your orator attain even so much, if he were to lack that knowledge whereof you people deny him the possession? For excellence in speaking cannot be made manifest unless the speaker fuUy comprehends the matter he speaks about. And if Plato spoke with the voice of a god of things very far away from pohtical debate, as I allow that he did, if again Aristotle and 87 CICERO Carneades in rebus eis, de quibus disputaverunt, eloquentes, et in dicendo suaves, atque ornati fuerunt : sint hae res, de quibus disputant, in aliis quibusdam studiis ; oratio quidem ipsa propria est huius unius rationis, de qua loquimur et quaerimus. Quid ergo interest? Unum erit profecto, quod ei, qui bene dicunt, afferant proprium : compositam orationem, et ornatam, et artificio quodam et expohtione dis- tinctam. Haec autem oratio, si res non subest ab oratore percepta et cognita, aut nulla sit necesse est, 61 aut omnium irrisione ludatur. Quid est enim tam furiosum, quam verborimi, vel optimorum atque ornatissimorum, sonitus inanis, nulla subiecta sen- tentia, nec scientia? Quidquid erit igitur qua- cumque ex arte, quocumque de genere, id orator, si, tanquam cHentis causam, didicerit, dicet melius et ornatius, quam ille ipse eius rei inventor atque artifex. The sole distinction will surely be that the good speakers bring, as their peculiar possession, a style that is harmonious, grace- ful, and marked by a certain artistry and pohsh. Yet this style, if the underlying subject-matter be not comprehended and mastered by the speaker, must inevitably be of no account or even become the sport 61 of universal derision. For what so efFectually pro- claims the madman as the hollow thundering of words — be they never so choice and resplendent — which have no thought or knowledge behind them? There- fore whatever the theme, from whatever art or what- ever branch of knowledge it be taken, the orator, just as if he had got up the case for a client, will state it better and more gracefully than the actual discoverer 62 and the speciahst. For if anyone is going to affirm that there are certain ideas and subjects which speci- S9 CICERO torum proprias sententias atque causas, et certarum rerum forensibus cancellis circumscriptam scientiam : fatebor equidem in his magis assidue versari hanc nostram dictionem ; sed tamen in his ipsis rebus permulta sunt, quae isti magistri, qui rhetorici vocan- 63 tur, nec tradunt, nec tenent. Quis enim nescit, maximam vim exsistere oratoris in hominum men- tibus vel ad iram, aut ad odium, aut ad dolorem incitandis, vel ab hisce eisdem permotionibus ad lenitatem misericordiamque revocandis? Quare, nisi qui naturas hominum, vimque omnem humanitatis, causasque eas, quibus mentes aut incitantur, aut reflectuntur, penitus perspexerit, dicendo, quod 54 volet, perficere non poterit. Atqui totus hic locus philosophorum proprius videtur ; neque orator, me auctore, unquam repugnabit : sed, cimi illis cogni- tionem rerum concesserit, quod in ea solum ilH voluerint elaborare ; tractationem orationis, quae sine illa scientia nulla est, sibi assumet. Hoc enim est proprium oratoris, quod saepe iam dixi, oratio gravis, et ornata, et hominum sensibus ac mentibus accommodata. Who indeed does not know that the orator's virtue is pre-eminently manifested either in rousing men's hearts to anger, hatred, or indignation, or in recaUing them from these same passions to mild- ness and mercy? Wherefore the speaker will not be able to achieve what he wants by his words, unless he has gained profound insight into the characters of men, and the whole range of human nature, and those motives whereby our souls are spurred on or 54 turned back. And all this is considered to be the special province of philosophers, nor will the orator, if he take my advice, resist their claim ; but when he has granted their knowledge of these things, since they have devoted all their labour to that alone, still he will assert his own claim to the oratorical treat- ment of them, which without that knowledge of theirs is nothing at all. For this is the essential concern of the orator, as I have often said before, — a style that is dignified and graceful and in conformity with the general modes of thought and judgement. Etenim cum illi in dicendo inciderint loci quod persaepe evenit , ut de diis immortalibus, de pietate, de concordia, de amicitia, de communi civium, de hominum, de gen- tium iure, de aequitate, de temperantia, de magni- tudine animi, de omni virtutis genere sit dicendum, clamabunt, credo, omnia gymnasia, atque omnes philosophorum scholae, sua haec esse omnia propria ; nihil omnino ad oratorem pertinere. Quibus ego, ut de his rebus omnibus in angulis, consumendi otii causa, disserant, cum concessero, illud tamen oratori tribuam et dabo, ut eadem, de quibus illi tenui quodam exsanguique sermone disputant, hic 57 cum omni gravitate et iucunditate explicet. Haec ego cum ipsis philosophis tum Athenis disserebam, cogebat enim me M. Marcellus hic noster, qui nunc aedilis curulis est ; et profecto, nisi ludos nunc faceret, huic nostro sermoni interesset ; ac iam tvun erat adolescentulus his studiis mirifice deditus. And in- deed when, while a man is speaking — as often happens — such commonplaces have cropped up as demand some mention of the immortal gods, of dutifulness, harmony, or friendship, of the rights shared by citi- zens, by men in general, and by nations, of fair-deal- ing, moderation or greatness of soul, or virtue of any and every kind, all the academies and schools of philosophy will, I do beheve, raise the cry that all these matters are their exclusive province, and in no way whatever the concem of the orator. But when I have allowed that they may debate these subjects in their holes and corners, to pass an idle hour, it is to the orator none the less that I shall entrust and assign the task of developing with complete charm and cogency the same themes which they discuss in a 67 sort of thin and bloodless style. These points I used to argue at Athens ynth. Galbae, et socero tuo C. Laelio, quos constat dicendi gloria praestitisse. Etenim saepe in eis causis, quas omnes pro- prias esse oratorum confitentur, est aliquid, quod non ex usu forensi, quem solum oratoribus conceditis, sed ex obscuriore aliqua scientia sit promendum atque 60 sumendum. Quaero enim, num possit aut contra irnperatorem, aut pro imperatore dici sine rei mili- taris usu, aut saepe etiam sine regionum terrestrium aut maritimarum scientia ; num apud populum iubendis, aut vetandis ; num in Senatu de omni reipubhcae genere dici sine summa rerum civilium cognitione, et prudentia ; num admoveri possit oratio ad sensus animorum atque motus vel inflammandos, vel etiam exstinguendos quod unum in oratore dominatur , sine diligentissima pervestiga- tione earum omnium rationum, quae de naturis hu- mani generis ac moribus a philosophis explicantur. For never will I say that there are not certain arts belonging exclusively to those who have employed all their energies in the mastery and exer- cise thereof, but my assertion will be that the com- plete and finished orator is he who on any matter whatever can speak with fullness and variety. Send feedback Purchase options Buy print edition. Description Table of Contents Description In On the Ideal Orator , De oratore , Cicero, the greatest Roman orator and prosewriter of his day, gives his mature views on rhetoric, oratory, and philosophy. Table of Contents Introduction 1. The Roman background: politics and culture 1. Orators in politics 1. Greeks and Romans 2. De oratore in Cicero's life 3. The subject: the ideal orator 4. Form I: Dialogue technique 5. Form II: "Rhetorical" techniques and the way to read De oratore 6. Background I: The quarrel between rhetoricians and philosophers, and Cicero's position in it 6. Brief history of the quarrel 6. The issues in the quarrel: Cicero's position 7. Background II: Traditional rhetoric and Cicero's alternative 7. Preliminary questions 7. The basic systems and Cicero's choice 7. The individual activities 8. Background III: Cicero's "sources" 9.

Cicero and a Conversation on Oratory | Storytelling with Impact

His picture of the ideal orator consitutes Cicero's own, original synthesis between the two positions. This translation by May and Wisse aims to be accessible as well as accurate. The translation is based on, and contributes to, the many advances in recent scholarship of De oratore itself, as well as of the many aspects of ancient rhetoric, philosophy, and history relevant to the work. It reflects the many variations of Cicero's style, which are essential ingredients of the work, signalling irony, seriousness, arguments, and climaxes. The extensive annotation, the introduction, the glossary, and the full index of names and places make this book completely accessible to the non-specialist, as well as offering new insights to the specialist. Seller Inventory BZE Items related to Cicero: On the Ideal Orator. Cicero: On the Ideal Orator. Marcus Tullius Cicero. Publisher: Oxford University Press , This specific ISBN edition is currently not available. View all copies of this ISBN edition:. Synopsis About this title In On the Ideal Orator , De oratore , Cicero, the greatest Roman orator and prosewriter of his day, gives his mature views on rhetoric, oratory, and philosophy. About the Author : James M. Buy New Learn more about this copy. Other Popular Editions of the Same Title. Search for all books with this author and title. Customers who bought this item also bought. Stock Image. Cicero on the Ideal Orator may, James M. New Quantity available: 1. Seller Rating:. Cicero Paperback James M. May, Jakob Wisse. Name of resource. Problem URL. Describe the connection issue. Cicero on the ideal orator De oratore. Responsibility translated, with introduction, notes, appendixes, glossary, and indexes by James M. May, Jakob Wisse. Uniform Title De oratore. Physical description x, p. Available online. Full view. Green Library. D6 M39 Unknown. More options. Find it at other libraries via WorldCat Limited preview. Contributor May, James M. Wisse, Jakob. Bibliography Includes bibliographical references p. Contents 1: The Roman background: politics and culture-- 1. Cast in the lively literary form of a dialogue, the work presents a daring view of the orator as the master of all language communcation, while still emphasizing his role at the heart of Roman society and politics.

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