Gestures and acclamations in ancient Rome / Gregory S. Aldrete.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Aldrete, Gregory S.

Series:

Ancient society and history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Speeches, addresses, etc., Latin--History and criticism.

Speeches, addresses, etc., Latin.

Rome--Politics and government.

Rome.

Rome (Empire).

Politics and government.

Oral communication--Rome.

Oral communication.

Gesture--Rome--History.

Gesture.

Rhetoric, Ancient.

Oratory, Ancient.

Gesture in art.

Audiences.

Physical Description:

xxv, 227 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999.

Summary:

Life in Rome was relentlessly public, and oratory was at its heart. Orations were dramatic spectacles in which the speaker deployed an arsenal of rhetorical tricks and strategies aimed at arousing the emotions of the audience, and spectators responded vigorously and vocally with massed chants of praise or condemnation. Unfortunately, many aspects of these performances have been lost. In the first in-depth study of oratorical gestures and crowd acclamations as methods of communication at public spectacles, Gregory Aldrete sets out to recreate these vital missing components and to recapture the original context of ancient spectacles as interactive, dramatic, and contentious public performances.

At the most basic level, this work is a study of communication -- how Roman speakers communicated with their audiences, and how audiences in turn were able to reply and convey their reactions to the speakers. Aldrete begins by investigating how orators employed an extraordinarily sophisticated system of hand and body gestures in order to enhance the persuasive power of their speeches. He then turns to the target of these orations -- the audience -- and examines how they responded through the mechanism of acclamations, that is, rhythmically shouted comments.

Aldrete finds much in these ancient spectacles that is relevant to modern questions of political propaganda, manipulation of public image. crowd behavior, and speechmaking.

Contents:

I. Speakers 1

1 Eloquence without Words: Uses of Gesture in Roman Oratory 3

Emotion 6

Indication 17

Mimicry, Accompaniment, Rhythm, and Signaling 34

2 Gesture in Roman Society 44

Oratorical Gesture in Art 45

Extent of Knowledge of Oratorical Gesture 50

The Illustrated Terence Manuscripts 54

Orators, Actors, and the Trend toward Theatricality 67

Practical Considerations 73

3 Oratory and the Roman Emperors 85

The Rhetorical Training of Emperors 87

Gesture in Interactions between Emperors and Plebs 89

Emperor, Plebs, and Gestures in Art 92

II. Audiences 99

4 Uses of Acclamations by the Urban Plebs 101

Greeting and Praise 104

Reaction 114

Criticism or Petition 118

5 Characteristics of the Use of Acclamations 128

Formulas and Rhythms 129

Benefits: Legitimacy, Status, Participation, and Material Gain 147

Risks: Insult, Uncertainty, Fear, and Death 159.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 197-217) and index.

ISBN:

0801861322

OCLC:

40602748