Cicero: On the Ideal Orator / Edition 1

by James M. May, Jakob Wisse

Overview

In On the Ideal Orator, (De oratore), Cicero, the greatest Roman orator and prosewriter of his day, gives his mature views on rhetoric, oratory, and philosophy. Cast in the lively, literary form of a dialogue, this classic work presents a daring view of the orator as the master of all language communication while still emphasizing his role at the heart of Roman society and politics. Cicero's conception of the ideal orator represents his own original synthesis of the positions of the philosophers and the rhetoricians in the age-old quarrel between these disciplines.
The first translation of De oratore in over fifty years, this volume is ideal for courses on Cicero and on the history of rhetoric/oratory. James May and Jakob Wisse provide an accurate and accessible translation which is based on—and contributes to—recent advances in our understanding of De oratore and of the many aspects of ancient rhetoric, philosophy, and history relevant to it. Their translation reflects the many variations of Cicero's style, which are essential ingredients of the work. The volume includes extensive annotation, based on current scholarship and offering significant original contributions as well. It is also enhanced by a full introduction covering all important aspects of both the work and its historical background; appendices on Cicero's works, figures of thought and speech, and alternate manuscript readings; a glossary of terms from rhetoric and Roman life and politics; and a comprehensive index of names and places.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195091984
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	03/08/2001
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	314,211
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 6.14(h) x 0.73(d)

About the Author

St. Olaf College

University of Newcastle on Tyne

Table of Contents

Introduction1. The Roman background: politics and culture1.1. Orators in politics1.2. Greeks and Romans2. De oratore in Cicero's life3. The subject: the ideal orator4. Form I: Dialogue technique5. Form II: "Rhetorical" techniques and the way to read De oratore6. Background I: The quarrel between rhetoricians and philosophers, and Cicero's position in it6.1. Brief history of the quarrel6.2. The issues in the quarrel: Cicero's position7. Background II: Traditional rhetoric and Cicero's alternative7.1. Preliminary questions7.2. The basic systems and Cicero's choice7.3. The individual activities8. Background III: Cicero's "sources"9. This translation10. The text11. Synopsis of the workFurther Readings and BibliographyAbbreviationsTranslation: On The Ideal OratorBook 1Book 2Book 3Appendix A. Cicero's WorksAppendix B. Figures of Thought and SpeechAppendix C. List of ReadingsGlossaryIndex of Places and NamesGeneral Index