Roman Historiography and Oratory: A Comprehensive Guide
Roman Historiography
Features
The Greek word historia means factual research. For the ancient Greeks, history was considered a literary genre that dealt with the narrative of real events, differing from drama, whose content is focused on the possible or probable facts, and fable, a fantastic story that cannot qualify as true.
Latin historiography was less rigorous than the Greek and more moralizing in intention. The high degree of patriotism of most historians prevented them from achieving fairness and sticking to the facts of reality. Norman did not convey objectively the facts, described from his point of view. Another feature is its moralizing. Roman historians found in history the appropriate means to transmit maiorum mores, customs inherited from ancestors. Roman nationalism gave history a practical value. One must take into account the rhetorical component that is always present in historical accounts. For Cicero, history was the ultimate expression of oratory skill and ought to be subject to rhetoric.
The fact determinant for the adoption of the genre by the Romans was elevated contact with Greek culture. The story started with Roman prose and it appears the first Latin writer who is not of low social status, Cato. Thus, the features of Roman historiography that predominate are the patriotic character, moral intent, political commitment, and rhetoric.
Chronological Development, Main Authors, and Works
Origins of Roman Historiography
The most ancient inscriptions on stone and all kinds of public or private documents may be considered as records of historiography. Among these documents include:
- Public documents:
- Annales Pontificum that drafted the pontifex maximus to the events of the religion.
- Commentarii of judges the events associated with their office.
- Senate records.
- Private documents:
- Speeches of praise to the deceased
- Funeral inscriptions
- Noteworthy developments of the deceased
Preclassical Period: Early Days of the Republic
- Analysts recounted year by year the events and introduced the myths and legends in their stories, giving the story a Roman character and national hero, his works were entitled Annales, they used to start with the founding of Rome and continued until their season.
- Caton, true father of the Latin tongue and first historian, wrote the first history of Rome entitled Origins.
Classic Period
A time of Cicero, the end of the republic, Julius Caesar, born in Rome in the heart of one of the noblest Roman families, Julia, received an excellent literary and dedicated training from a very young political life dealing with all charges honorum cursus public of its production includes comments on the Gallic War and the civil war, this work highlights the purity and elegance of the Latin language.
Sallust, born into a wealthy family, he held public office, his two works are preserved production completas The conspiracy of Catiline and Jugurtha’s War Stories and a fragmented, characterized the trends toward shortly. Nepos, wrote a universal history entitled Chronica and a collection of anecdotes called Exempla that are not conserved. His most important work is On Illustrious Men.
Time of Augustus, the imperial era
Livy, a personal friend of Augustus stayed away from politics and dedicated his life to write his monumental work, his great work is Decades, also known as Historians and Analysts, of which 142 books only have reached us of an all 10 and 21 to 45. his work is an example of historiographic conception of the genre as a work of art above all.
Postclassical Period
Cornelius Tacitus, the imperial era, received an excellent training and public speaking career was devoted to forensics, its production is composed of two smaller works Agricola and Germania and two majors and historians and analysts, from the stylistic match Sallust in his taste for the front brevitas Uberto to Livy and Cicero.
Decadent Period
Suetonius, De viris illustribus, lost, and his most famous work The Twelve Caesars Life.
Match of the Historical Genre
- Livy, annals, analytical historiography
- Tacitus critical historiography
- Historiography, historical monographs politics Sallust
- Cesar historiography policy-reviews
- Biography Suetonius, Nepos
Oratory
Characteristics
Oratory is the art of how to conceive of the word, to speak well, with correction and especially persuasive and convincing manner. It is moreover theoretical art of oratory discourse is reduced to a system capable of being taught. The art of mastering word and oral expression are linked to the history of Rome and the development of Latin literature. Public speaking was in the political life of the Roman Republic a social tool to gain prestige and power, and in the context of civil strife has been improved thanks to the influence of Greek rhetoric.
The birth of rhetoric and oratory is in Greece and the first teachers of rhetoric in Rome were Greeks. Eventually produced a total assimilation of Greek rhetoric, rhetoric schools were opened and were composed distematicos treaties that contributed to the dissemination of lessons enstas. Oratory is linked to freedom of expression, so Republicans will bloom in time and anger declining imperial era. Speaking of oratory and rhetoric have to speak for one side of the writings and discourses on the other side of the treaties that study the technique of speech.
Characteristics:
- Word art and mastery of oral expression used to win prestige and power.
- The phialides of discourse is persuasion. He can present his speech in different ways: docere, based on the demonstration intellectual dlectare the public seeking fun, move is aimed to stir the emotions and feelings.
- Three types of speeches: political as Catiline, delivered before a convincing assembly to achieve a given topic, such as verrines Judicial pronounced in court to get the conviction or acquittal of the accused, demostrate, ie, single display.
- A speech notable for its perfect internal organization in parts: introduction early part of the discourse in which the att try pushing them and presents the topic of the speech, narration, exposition of the facts, argument defense of each of the arguments, conclusion conclusion farewell speech and new interpellation.
Chronological Development, Main Authors, and Works
Speaking Prior to Cicero
- In the third century BC, Rome developed a Public Speaking, the first speaker is Claude the Blind wrote a speech against the proposal for peace with Pyrrhus
- In the second century BC begins teaching faculty of oratory in the presence of Greek rhetoricians in Rome came from the Magna Grecia, he taught in their native language, they start writing and speeches published highlights Caton. wrote over 150 speeches that are conserved 80, valued more the domain of legal technicalities and persuasive arguments that the media Tecina stylistic.
- In the second half-century BC speakers stand out as Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, defenders of the rights of the people against abuses of the judges. Scipio stand with them, Crassus and Mark Antony
Speaking at the Time of Cicero
.
Whether early-BC dates the first theoretical treatise is preserved Roman rhetoric to Herenio, attributed to Cicero x error for a long time. Jan. l consolidate world of Roman oratory two schools: the Asian, represented x Hortensio and characterized by excessive ornamentation, the more the gradilocuencia and cuidadno fomra the fund, and the penthouses, opposite party of clarity and simplicity.
– In the s. I a. C. the figures of Cicero and Hortensius, Cicero’s rival in the process of Verres. Earlier this century, Rome put retoeres schools that taught the art of public speaking but in Latin. Cicero is the epitome of Roman oratory, both as regards the practice as the tory. takes an intermediate position between Asian and attics, Rodia school. ratados speeches and most important are: 1. dialogues: verrines, Archias In defense of the poet, in defense of Milo … 2. Treaties: Brutus, He, on the speaker.
2.3. Speaking after Cicero, in imperial era
the disappearance of political freedom, it disappears from public life public speaking, retreats to the schools of rhetoric that flourished, only the eulogies are dedicated to the emperors.
– End of s. BC, stands Seneca the Elder, father of the famous philosopher, a true master of the new rhetoric, his work contained conservda Dispute ten books and two of persuasion.
– In the s. Institution comopone AD Qunitiliano oratory, rhetoric tratdo of twelve books on the classical model becomes Ciceronian and worries about the formation of the speaker
S. II-AD in Tacitus comopne Dialogue of the speakers, work in which arises the causes of the decline of oraoria, concluding that the principal is the lack of freedom.