Roman Oratory and Rhetoric: From Cicero to Quintilian

**Oratory and Rhetoric in Ancient Rome**

Eloquence has been regarded as a manifestation of the original Roman genius. The word had an important role, as parliamentary debates could not be driven, and were dominated by men who were not telling. Oratory was a very valuable tool to influence public opinion in the political fight.

Rhetoric was born in Greece around the 5th century BC as a technical systematization of stylistic procedures for the speaker’s exposition. It came to Rome in the middle of the 1st century BC. Cicero explained the basics of the genre and gave news of the speakers.

**Pre-Ciceronian Oratory**

Hardly any testimony remains of this early oratory. Between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, there are several speeches that belong to the genre *”laudationes funebres”* (funeral eulogies). Cicero says that the story is due to the fact that the deceased had no merits. Authors who may be cited are Quintus Fabius Maximus, Lucius Aemilius Paulus, and Quintus Caecilius Metellus.

**Oratory in the 2nd Century BC: Consolidation of the Genre**

Already in the 1st century BC, oratory consolidates in Rome. It gives an exchange within the meaning of Rome invading Greece.

Cato and Scipio Aemilianus are the heads of Roman oratory. They have a moral concern based on Roman *”disciplina morum”*.

Cato was an eloquent orator due to his seriousness in his praise, his harsh criticism, and the arguments and simplicity of his exposition. He represents the moral conscience of society.

Scipio Aemilianus and his circle represent the invasion of Greek culture on Roman morals and a great humanist. Fragments of moral tone can still be seen.

**Oratory in the 1st Century BC**

The social and political problems are accentuated until the Republic disappeared. This will wipe out the development of eloquence. The artistic concern ends up transplanting oratory trends to Rome, reflected in the schools:

  • **Asian:** Florid expression, pathetic, grand…
  • **Attic:** Avoidance of ornaments and pathos.

**Cicero**

He lived in the last stage of the Republic, with major internal political problems in which he participated. However, he withdrew to devote himself to writing, and when he constantly returned, it was because he believed in the restoration of the Republic.

**Oratorical Works**

A) Judicial Speeches

  • Pro Lege Manilia: Supports the proposal to grant Pompey the command of Roman troops. High praise for the general.
  • In Catilinam: Catiline was not elected in the elections, and he devised a plan to take power and kill Cicero. Cicero delivered four speeches against him in court.
  • Pro Milone: Defending Milo, who had murdered Clodius. Cicero assumed the defense, made between the joy and cries of the supporters.
  • Pro Archia Poeta: Based on the defense of Archias, it commends literature and poetry.
  • In M. Antonium Orationes Philippicae: Speeches against Antony, who was Caesar’s legacy. Cicero believed that with Caesar’s death, the Republic would return. It is one of his finest oratorical works due to the purity of vocabulary and the appropriateness of the terms.

**Rhetorical Works**

  • Brutus: A play about eloquence in Rome. It begins with a summary of eloquence in Greece and ends with his career.
  • De Oratore and Orator: Two works dealing with the formation of the speaker and the technique of discourse. The speaker must have three virtues: natural talent, knowledge of the technique of discourse, and culture. This technique has five points: *”inventio”*, *”dispositio”*, *”elocutio”*, *”memoria”*, and *”actio”*. The speech also has its parts: introduction of the topic, exposition of the theme, *”argumentatio”* (which covers the *”probatio”* and *”refutatio”*), and *”peroratio”*.

**Quintilian**

His father was a rhetorician and forced him to pursue his studies in Rome. He was a lawyer and opened a famous school of rhetoric. He was eager to return Latin prose to a Ciceronian degree. He represents the literary trends of the time and a certain moral renovation, honest and aware of his duties. He gave full attention to the youth, even their family problems.

His perfect work, *”De Institutione Oratoria”*, has been preserved in 12 books. It does not innovate in essence but gives clarity and strength to his personal experience and creates pure classicism, which is the salvation of the letters. He gave his work a dose of common sense and conscience, but his goals were more limited: he recommended the culture of Cicero and neglected the subtlety of the theory. He showed great psychology in the observation of children and emphasizes the education that is given to a child in the cradle, with regular effort and good moral education. He did not attempt to copy Cicero’s work and wrote metaphors and images in a complex language, which does not give clarity to the texts. He failed to see that the decline of oratory was suffering from social and political causes on which no one could act.