Cicero rhetor

The series consists of a variety of monographs from the fields of Classical Philology and Ancient History. While maintaining a broad thematic and methodological scope, the editors are especially keen on studies showing a thorough and critical engagement with the relevant literary texts and primary sources.

This fundamentally new interpretation of the Partitiones oratoriae shows the small dialogue to be a demanding compendium of the whole system of rhetorical doctrine and places it at the centre of a specifically Ciceronian concept of rhetoric. By drawing upon Cicero's other philosophical and rhetorical works, the author reveals the political relevance: Cicero's learned writings present criteria for the selection of suitable politicians, to whom powers of decision-making should only be given after they have proved themselves to have studied and to possess methodical abilities. Thus Cicero's work as a writer after his exile cannot sensibly be separated from his political activity.

Autorentext

Alexander Arweiler teaches Classical Studies at the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany.

Zusammenfassung

"[...] A.'s book will be of much interest to any student of Cicero's thought."
Yelena Baraz in: Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2005