Oratory and political career in the late Roman republic / Henriette van der Blom, University of Birmingham.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Blom, Henriette van der, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political oratory--Rome.

Political oratory.

Rome--Politics and government.

Rome.

Rome (Empire).

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

xii, 377 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, United Kingdom : Cambridge University Press, 2016.

Summary:

"Oratory and Political Career in the Late Roman Republic is a pioneering investigation into political life in the late Roman Republic. It explores the nature and extent to which Roman politicians embraced oratorical performances as part of their political career and how such performances influenced the careers of individual orators such as Gaius Gracchus, Pompeius Magnus, and Julius Caesar. Through six case studies, this book presents a complex and multifaceted picture of how Roman politicians employed oratory to articulate their personal and political agendas, to present themselves to a public obsessed with individual achievement, and ultimately to promote their individual careers. By dealing specifically with orators other than Cicero, this study offers much-needed alternatives to our understanding of public oratory in Rome. Moreover, the assessment of the impact of public speeches on the development of political careers provides new perspectives on the hotly debated nature of republican political culture"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction

Part I. The Role of Oratory in Roman Politics: 1. Oratorical settings and career possibilities

2. Other routes to political success

Part II. Themes and Oratorical Careers: 3. Tribunician oratory and family inheritance: Gaius Gracchus' political career

4. Politics behind the scenes: Pompeius' oratory and political career

5. The oratorical springboard: Caesar's political career

6. The oratory and career of Piso Caesoninus

7. Powerful profiling: Cato the Younger and the impact of self-presentation

8. Career-making in a time of crisis: Marcus Antonius' oratory; Conclusion: towards a new Brutus

Appendix 1. Gaius Gracchus' public speeches

Appendix 2. Pompius' public speeches

Appendix 3. Caesar's public speeches

Appendix 4. Piso's public speeches

Appendix 5. Cato's public speeches.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 328-362) and index.

ISBN:

9781107051935

1107051932

OCLC:

945718469