OVERVIEW

This course will offer a survey of the history of Roman rhetoric and oratory, with emphasis on the evolution of its theoretical tradition from the late Republic to the early Imperial age.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The History of Latin Rhetoric course aims to retrace the salient moments of the evolution of the art of persuasion in Rome, starting from the first contacts of Roman culture with the Greek-Hellenistic tradition, up to the developments of Latin rhetoric in the imperial age. Students will become familiar with the technical foundations of classical rhetoric through direct reading of the main theoretical treatises in Latin; the study of orations from the republican era and declamations from the imperial era will allow them to appreciate the fundamental traits of a genre destined to shape European literary culture, well beyond the end of the ancient world.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will focus on the peculiar features of Latin rhetorical texts, which will be studied in a diachronical perspective. By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Read and interpret rhetorical treatises and orations of the Republican and Imperial age.

• Identify and assess the main features of the Roman rhetorical theory.

• Identify the most common pedagogical strategies exploited in the ancient world for the teaching of rhetoric.

• Assess the mutual influence between rhetorical technique and oratory and literary production.

• Identify the main transformations of Roman rhetoric and oratory from the Republican to the Imperial age. 

PREREQUISITES

An advanced knowledge of Latina language and literature is required.

TEACHING METHODS

After a number of lessons that will introduce to the history of Roman rhetoric and oratory, students will be invited to participate in the translation and the interpretation of the relevant texts in class.  Attendance, although not compulsory, is highly recommended.

All students are required to enroll on the Aulaweb page of the course, where texts covered in the course  will be uploaded. 

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Extemporaneous oratory and written oratory: the figurae extemporales

The ability to improvise a speech extemporaneously was considered by ancient treatises to be the apex of an orator's preparation. However, the prestige attributed to the ability to improvise led, paradoxically, to the habit of inserting, even in speeches prepared in writing, something that mimicked, with greater or lesser effectiveness, elements that were instead characteristic of the impromptu performance. Through the examination of the ancient treatises on improvised speeches, from Alcidamas to Quintilian, the course will first of all  examine the formation of a theoretical tradition relating to the techniques of fictitious extemporaneousness (those that Pliny the Younger will call figurae extemporales), and then analyze the presence of such techniques in orations that were certainly never uttered: epidictic orations that pretended to be judicial orations, such as the Platonic Apology of Socrates and the Antidosis of Isocrates in the Greek oratory, and orations published but never actually pronounced, as, in the Latin oratory, the Actio Secunda in Verrem, the Pro Milone and the Philippica Secunda. The results obtained from this analysis have methodological consequences that go beyond the texts we have quoted: the probability that analogous figurae extemporales were commonly inserted even in orations normally passed through the performance represents a powerful incentive to exercise a methodical doubt in face to elements that we would otherwise be led to consider historical traces of what actually happened during the execution of the oration. In texts other than those considered, it will certainly be difficult - if not often impossible - to distinguish between authentic traces of extemporaneousness and artificial effects of improvisation: however, methodical caution in front of supposed improvisation must represent an unavoidable part of the exegetical baggage of the scholar of ancient oratory.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Textbook: A. Cavarzere, Oratoria a Roma. Storia di un genere pragmatico, Roma, Carocci 2000 (ISBN: 9788843014934).

2. Cicerone, Pro Milone,  (Cicerone, In difesa di Milone,a cura di P. Fedeli, Marsilio, Venezia 1990). 

3. Cicerone, Actio secunda in Verrem, libro IV (Cicerone, Il Processo di Verre, a cura di L. Fiocchi e N. Marinone, Milano, BUR  1992: solo il libro IV De signis).

Please remember that to acquire further Latin credits in addition to the first 12 credits it is necessary to have previously passed either the Final advanced translation test (Lettorato avanzato di Traduzione dal Latino held by Dr. Arianna Fecit), or the second level preparatory test held by Prof. Gabriella Moretti.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

GABRIELLA MORETTI (President)

BIAGIO SANTORELLI

ALICE BONANDINI (Substitute)

ARIANNA FECIT (Substitute)

LISA LONGONI (Substitute)

DILETTA VIGNOLA (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Classes start on Tuesday 17 September 2024

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination will be oral, and will involve questions on the textbook, on the monographic course, and the translation, commentary, and contextualization of a selection of passages from the assigned texts.

The ability to accurately translate the selected texts is essential for passing the exam. Additionally, students should be able to identify the linguistic characteristics of the selected text and reconstruct its historical contest.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Grading scale:

• 30 cum laude - 28: The student will be able to translate and discuss accurately the texts and outline their linguistic features;

• 27 - 23: The student will show an overall knowledge of the selected texts, with some flaws that will not prejudice their correct interpretation.

• 22 - 18: The student will show a partial understanding of the texts and their language.

• Fail: The student who will misinterpret or not be able to translate the texts will not pass the exam.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Erasmus students not proficient in Italian may request a substitutive bibliography, and take the examination in English.

All students are required to sign up for Aulaweb and Teams in time for the start of the course.

For students with disabilities or specific learning disorders (DSA):

Students with disabilities or DSA are reminded that in order to request adaptations during the exam, they must first enter the certification on the University website on the servizionline.unige.it page in the "Students" section. The documentation will be verified by the University's Services Sector for the inclusion of students with disabilities and DSA (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/structure/100111).

Subsequently, significantly in advance (at least 10 days) of the exam date, it is necessary to send an e-mail to the teacher with whom you will take the exam, inserting in copy copy both the teacher in charge of the School for the inclusion of students with disabilities and with DSA (contact email) is the sector indicated above. In the email you must specify:

the name of the course

the date of the appeal

the student's surname, first name and student number

the compensatory tools and dispensatory measures deemed functional and required.

The contact person will confirm to the teacher that the applicant has the right to request adaptations during the exam and that these adaptations must be agreed with the teacher. The teacher will respond by communicating whether it is possible to use the requested adaptations.

Requests must be sent at least 10 days before the date of the exam in order to allow the teacher to evaluate the content. In particular, in the event that you intend to use concept maps for the exam (which must be much more concise than the maps used for the study) if the sending does not respect the expected times there will not be the technical time necessary to make any changes.

For further information regarding the request for services and adaptations, consult the document:

https://unige.it/sites/unige.it/files/2024-05/Linee%20guida%20per%20la%20richiesta%20di%20servizi%2C%20di%20strumenti%20compensativi%20e_o%20di%20misure%20dispensative%20e%20di%20ausili%20specifici%20Maggio%202024.pdf