Orator (Cicero)

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The orator is a in 46 BC. Textbook on rhetoric written by Marcus Tullius Cicero . It is written in the form of a letter to the later Caesar murderer, Marcus Iunius Brutus , and tailored to him. With De inventione and De oratore , it is one of the most important works by Cicero on the art of speaking. It paints the picture of the ideal speaker, whose universal education is assumed, and it emphasizes the primary importance of linguistic expression in all its fullness (elocutio) .

content

The content can be roughly divided into the following parts:

  • the Proemium (Foreword) (Chapters 1–35)
  • the main part about the ideal speaker (36–236)
  • the epilogue with the farewell to Brutus (237-238)

Proemium

In the very detailed Prooemium , Cicero makes it clear how difficult and demanding “rhetoric” is, the treatment of which he feels challenged by Brutus' questions (1–2). In Chapters 3–6, Cicero states that there must be second and third degree artists in every art subject; For example, the superiority of the Athenian speaker Demosthenes should not lead to resignation. The ideal presented in this book should not be based on the Greek or Roman speakers, it should be a prototype , an idea (according to Plato's theory of ideas) of the speaker and his subject (7-10). In the episode (11-19) he claims u. a. contributing his person that philosophical education is fundamentally important for the ideal speaker. One of the prerequisites for the perfection of a speaker is that he has mastered all three types of speech (see below), although some Greek speakers have succeeded in doing this, but no Roman speakers up to Cicero (20-23). Cicero wants his outstanding eloquence to be used as a model of a properly understood atticism , which then leads to undesirable developments if he restricts himself to imitating a Lysias , Thucydides or Xenophon (24–32). In chapters 33–35, Cicero emphasizes once again that he is dealing with the subject because he does not want to refuse the request of a close friend (Brutus).

Bulk

In a short introduction to the main part (36–43), Cicero claims to be able to hold on to the rhetorical ideal of style, although there are different taste judgments, whereby the focus must be on the forensic (public) holding of speeches.

Then Cicero goes into the real issue. First (44-49) on finding (εὕρεσις) of talking material, then (50) on the correct arrangement (τάξις), finally on the linguistic-stylistic design (λέξις, ie actually “speaking, speaking”), this is on most of the space dedicated (51–236).

First, he goes into the importance of this part of the rhetoric (51–53). Chapters 54–60 discuss key issues related to the presentation, such as tone of voice, facial expression, and body language (54–60). Then he goes into the linguistic style. First, he compares the language used by philosophers (61–64), sophists (65), historians (66) and poets (67–69). Reflecting on the three effects sought by the speaker to inform, delight and change the audience's mind (69-74) leads to the treatment of the three styles: the simple (genus tenue) (76-90), the middle (91-96) and the sublime (97-99). The emphatically repeated demand that the speaker must be able to master each of these three levels of style and be able to use them correctly (100-101) are followed by examples of this art from speeches by Cicero (102-110) and Demosthenes' (110-111). The reference to the aim of writing, which consists of judgment, not instruction (112), leads to the presentation of the knowledge required of the speaker, which covers the philosophical areas of dialectics (113-117), ethics (118) and natural philosophy (119 ), law and history (120), and the theory of rhetoric (121). The following is an overview of the parts of the speech , the stylistic design of which should be appropriate to the content and character (122–125). Particular importance is attached to the clear elaboration of the fundamental problematic of the case in question (θέσις, i.e. setting up, here: question), the art of increasing emphasis (αὔξησις, i.e. magnification), the self-portrayal of the speaker's personality (ἠθικόν, i.e. nature), and attributed to the arousal of affects (παθητικόν, the aroused) (125–133). Then (134–139) important figures of speech are briefly mentioned.

Cicero justifies himself (140–148) that he writes so many books on rhetoric, although some accuse him that this is not worthy of a man of his rank.

Then Cicero speaks about the syntactic context of the words in a sentence in a speech that is divided into three sections. The first concerns the selection and arrangement of words (149–162), the second the requirements of euphoria (162–167), the third the questions of periodization and rhythmization (168–236). After a brief historical overview (168–173), their presentation is divided into the explanation of the origin (174–176), the actual cause (177f.), The essence (177–203) and the practice (204–236).

Epilogue (farewell to Brutus)

Here (237–238) Cicero points out once again that the decisiveness with which he expressed his opinion about the ideal speaker does not contradict his conviction that the basis of human judgment can only be what is most probable appear since the truth does not show itself to people.

Text editions and translations (some with commentary)

  • Bernhard Kytzler (translator): Orator. Latin-German. 3rd revised edition. Artemis-Verlag, Munich et al. 1988, ISBN 3-7608-1525-1 .
  • Harald Merklin (translator): Orator. Latin / German. Reclam, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-15-018273-5 .
  • Rolf Westman (Ed.): M. Tulli Ciceronis Orator. Teubner, Leipzig 1980 ( Bibliotheca scriptorvm Graecorvm et Romanorvm Tevbneriana. M. Tvlli Ciceronis scripta qvae manservnt omnia. Fasc. 5) (Latin only).

literature

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