Orator(Cicero)

Not to be confused withDe Oratore.

Oratorwas written byMarcus Tullius Ciceroin the latter part of the year 46 BC.It is his last work onrhetoric,three years before his death.Describing rhetoric, Cicero addresses previous comments on the five canons of rhetoric:Inventio,Dispositio,Elocutio,Memoria,andPronuntiatio.In this text, Cicero attempts to describe the perfect orator, in response toMarcus Junius Brutus’ request.Oratoris the continuation of a debate betweenBrutusandCicero,which originated in his textBrutus,written earlier in the same year.

The oldest partial text ofOratorwas recovered in the monastery ofMont Saint-Micheland now is located in the library atAvranches.Thirty-seven existing manuscripts have been discovered from this text. Another complete text was discovered in 1421, nearMilanin the town ofLodi.The texts of these two manuscripts vary considerably, and modern translators rely on both.

In 46 BC, when Cicero wroteOrator,many young Roman men revolted against the stylistic paradigms put forward by Cicero, and from most Roman traditions in general.Cicero writes in a defensive posture to this hostile audience.

Context and summary

InOrator,Cicero depicts several models for speakers. Cicero states to the Romans the importance of searching and discovering their own sense ofrhetoric.“I am sure, the magnificence ofPlatodid not deterAristotlefrom writing, nor didAristotlewith all his marvelous breadth of knowledge put an end to the studies of others.”Cicero encouraged theplebeiansthrough his writing, “Moreover, not only were outstanding men not deterred from undertakingliberalpursuits, but even craftsmen did not give up their arts because they were unable to equal the beauty of the picture of Ialysus....”Cicero proposes that rhetoric cannot be confined to one specific group but rather outlines a guide that will lead to the creation of successful orators across Roman society.

InOrator,Cicero also addressed the accusation lodged by his fellow senators, includingBrutus,that he was an “Atticist.”Cicero addresses this claim by saying that he is too independent and bold to be associated withAtticism,producing his own unique style. Cicero claims the perfect orator creates his own “elocutio,”or diction and style, rather than following this movement.

Cicero states that all five canons are equally important. Throughout the text, Cicero advises his Roman audience on how to form proper oratory by formal guidelines but also how to specialize individually in their own sense of oratory.Oratoris written with ideas ranging from the construction of arguments to rhetorical performance. In relation to other Ciceronian works on rhetoric,Oratorreceives less treatment with scarce research compared to other rhetorical works.

Goals of the orator

The three aims of the orator, according to Cicero, are "docere, delectare, et movere."That is: to prove your thesis to the audience, to delight the audience, and to emotionally move the audience.The emotional vividness of poetic language becomes part of the rhetorical tools in service of persuading the audience to your point of view.

External links

• LatinWikisourcehas original text related to this article:Orator
• Acopy of the text,along withBrutus