Journal Article

F. P. Pina Polo (trans. E. Leiss): Contra arma verbis: Der Redner vor dem Volk in de späten römischen Republik. (HABES 22.) Pp. 216. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1996. Paper. ISBN: 3-515-06854-6

Steel, C. E. W

2001

Overview

Public speaking becomes more important in the last century of the Republic because it oers those outside the charmed circle of the aristocracy a way into politics, and the censors edict of 92 arises above all from anxieties that wider access to rhetorical training would compromise the power of the lite (pp. 828). There is a good discussion of the disadvantage that Catiline faced in 63 in not having potestas contionandi (pp. 448) and of Brutus failuredespite Ciceros construction of him as the next great hope for Roman eloquenceto inuence the people in 44 (p. 159), though P.P. sometimes passes over minor points rather quickly: so (p. 34 n. 2) the interesting observation that Catulus in 62 is an exception to the convention that speakers addressed the people from a platform could be expanded further in the context of Caesars campaign against him: the episode is one more humiliation. U.s carefully exhaustive and intelligent study tackles the persistent theme of Gallic demonology, specically the thought or the threat of bellum Gallicum or rebellio Gallic(an)a in Roman literary tradition, and does it well.

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press