European University Institute Library

Declamations, Seneca the Elder ; with an English translation by Michael Winterbottom

Label
Declamations, Seneca the Elder ; with an English translation by Michael Winterbottom
Language
eng
Literary Form
non fiction
Main title
Declamations
Medium
electronic resource
Nature of contents
dictionaries
Oclc number
903198864
Responsibility statement
Seneca the Elder ; with an English translation by Michael Winterbottom
Series statement
Loeb classical library online
Summary
Seneca the Elder (?55 BCE-40 CE) collected ten books devoted to controversiae (some only preserved in excerpt) and at least one (surviving) of suasoriae. Extracts from famous declaimers of Seneca's illuminate influences on the styles of most pagan (and many Christian) writers of the Empire., Roman secondary education aimed principally at training future lawyers and politicians. Under the late Republic and the Empire, the main instrument was an import from Greece: declamation, the making of practice speeches on imaginary subjects. There were two types of such speeches: controversiae on law-court themes, suasoriae on deliberative topics. On both types a prime source of our knowledge is the work of Lucius Annaeus Seneca, a Spaniard from Cordoba, father of the distinguished philosopher. Towards the end of his long life (?55 BCE-?40 CE) he collected together ten books devoted to controversiae (some only preserved in excerpt) and at least one (surviving) of suasoriae. These books contained his memories of the famous rhetorical teachers and practitioners of his day: their lines of argument, their methods of approach, their idiosyncrasies, and above all their epigrams. The extracts from the declaimers, though scrappy, throw invaluable light on the influences that coloured the styles of most pagan (and many Christian) writers of the Empire. Unity is provided by Seneca's own contribution, the lively prefaces, engaging anecdote about speakers, writers and politicians, and brisk criticism of declamatory excess--, Provided by Publisher
Table Of Contents
v. I. Controversiae, books 1-6 -- v. II. Controversiae, books 7-10. Suasoriae. Fragments
Target audience
general
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