Politeness And Politics In Ciceros Letters

Download or read book Politeness and Politics in Cicero's Letters written by Jon Hall and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-05-06 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Politeness and Politics in Cicero's Letters presents a fresh examination of the letters exchanged between Cicero and correspondents, such as Pompey, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony during the final turbulent decades of the Roman Republic. Drawing upon sociolinguistic theories of politeness, it argues that formal relationships between powerful members of the elite were constrained by distinct conventions of courtesy and etiquette. By examining in detail these linguistic conventions of politeness, Jon Hall presents new insights into the social manners that shaped aristocratic relationships. The book begins with a discussion of the role of letter-writing within the Roman aristocracy and the use of linguistic politeness to convey respect to fellow members of the elite. Hall then analyzes the deployment of conventionalized expressions of affection and goodwill to cultivate alliances with ambitious rivals and the diplomatic exploitation of "polite fictions" at times of political tension. The book also explores the strategies of politeness employed by Cicero and his correspondents when making requests and dispensing advice, and when engaging in epistolary disagreements. (His exchanges with Appius Claudius Pulcher, Munatius Plancus, and Mark Antony receive particular emphasis.) Its detailed analysis of specific letters places the reader at the very heart of Late Republican political negotiations and provides a new critical approach to Latin epistolography.

Download or read book Politeness and Politics in Cicero's Letters written by Jon Hall and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-05-06 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Politeness and Politics in Cicero's Letters presents a fresh examination of the letters exchanged between Cicero and correspondents, such as Pompey, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony during the final turbulent decades of the Roman Republic. Drawing upon sociolinguistic theories of politeness, it argues that formal relationships between powerful members of the elite were constrained by distinct conventions of courtesy and etiquette. By examining in detail these linguistic conventions of politeness, Jon Hall presents new insights into the social manners that shaped aristocratic relationships. The book begins with a discussion of the role of letter-writing within the Roman aristocracy and the use of linguistic politeness to convey respect to fellow members of the elite. Hall then analyzes the deployment of conventionalized expressions of affection and goodwill to cultivate alliances with ambitious rivals and the diplomatic exploitation of "polite fictions" at times of political tension. The book also explores the strategies of politeness employed by Cicero and his correspondents when making requests and dispensing advice, and when engaging in epistolary disagreements. (His exchanges with Appius Claudius Pulcher, Munatius Plancus, and Mark Antony receive particular emphasis.) Its detailed analysis of specific letters places the reader at the very heart of Late Republican political negotiations and provides a new critical approach to Latin epistolography.

Download or read book Philosophical Life in Cicero's Letters written by Sean McConnell and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-04-03 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fresh and exciting study of Cicero's philosophical activities and the enduring interest of his ethical and political thought.

Download or read book The Language of Roman Letters written by Olivia Elder and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-10-03 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores in depth how bilingualism in the correspondence of elite Romans illuminates their lives, relationships and identities.

Download or read book Choice written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 632 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Gift of Correspondence in Classical Rome written by Amanda Wilcox and published by University of Wisconsin Pres. This book was released on 2012-08-06 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Amanda Wilcox offers an innovative approach to two major collections of Roman letters—Cicero’s Ad Familiares and Seneca’s Moral Epistles—informed by modern cross-cultural theories of gift-giving. By viewing letters and the practice of correspondence as a species of gift exchange, Wilcox provides a nuanced analysis of neglected and misunderstood aspects of Roman epistolary rhetoric and the social dynamics of friendship in Cicero’s correspondence. Turning to Seneca, she shows that he both inherited and reacted against Cicero’s euphemistic rhetoric and social practices, and she analyzes how Seneca transformed the rhetoric of his own letters from an instrument of social negotiation into an idiom for ethical philosophy and self-reflection. Though Cicero and Seneca are often viewed as a study in contrasts, Wilcox extensively compares their letters, underscoring Cicero’s significant influence on Seneca as a prose stylist, philosopher, and public figure.

Download or read book Writing Politics in Imperial Rome written by William J. Dominik and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 564 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of essays offers a comprehensive examination of the varied dynamics and strategies of political discourse and its concealment in Latin literature in the late republic and especially the early empire at Rome.