So let the name of poet, gentlemen, which no barbarian race has ever treated with disrespect, be a sacred name among you, the most enlightened of men. He starts the confirmatio by asking himself a question on behalf of Grattius. First, whatever the jurors private views on poetry and culture, it is nevertheless flattering for them to be treated as intellectuals, as a select group of people who are well educated and superior to the common herd (cf. The Luculli straight away received Archias into their house, although even at this time he was still of the age when the toga of boyhood is worn. This argument, understood literally, does in fact have some validity. Cicero's famous defense of the poet Aulus Licinius Archias in Pro Archia Poeta Oratio remains one of the most eloquent and important works of Latin literature to date. It argues that Pro Archia is an exercise in persuasion. Cicero und das rmische Brgerrecht: die Verteidigung des Dichters Archias, who first arrived in Rome in 102 BCE, had, since the conclusion of the Social War in 89 BCE, been living as a Roman citizen and enjoying all of its attendant privileges. This was a suitable house for a member of the nobility, as Cicero now was, and it would, incidentally, have been one of the ones frequented by Archias in the 90s, having been the residence then of M. Drusus (Vell. If Archias had not already possessed Roman citizenship, Cicero says, he could easily have obtained it as a favour from some general such as Sulla, or from his friend Metellus Pius ( 2526a). A brief discussion of content would also be useful at this crucial moment in the speech. The poet was originally Greek but had been living in Rome for an extended period of time. )28 is cited in support of this view; at 31 Cicero will go further and claim thateveryone (apud omnis) has always held poets to be sacred. The digressio concludes ( 2830) with Ciceros admission that he too wishes to be immortalized in verse; as he has demonstrated, there are many honourable precedents for this. After this he quickly moves on to less controversial territory. Si quid est in me ingeni, iudices, quod sentio quam sit exiguum, aut si qua exercitatio dicendi, in qua me non infitior mediocriter esse versatum, aut si huiusce rei ratio aliqua ab optimarum artium studiis ac disciplina profecta, a qua ego nullum confiteor aetatis meae tempus abhoruisse, earum rerum omnium vel in primis hic A. Licinius fructum a me repetere prope suo iure debet. I beg of you that you will grant me an indulgence in this trial which is appropriate to this defendant here, and, I trust, not disagreeable to youthat you will allow me, speaking as I am on behalf of an eminent poet and a most learned man and before this crowd of highly educated people, this civilized jury, and such a praetor as is now presiding, to speak rather more freely on cultural and literary matters, and, as befits the character of a man who because of his life of seclusion and study has had very little to do with the hazards of the courts, to employ a somewhat novel and unconventional manner of speaking. It is clear from Pro Flacco that the sort of unremarkable, upper-class men who for the most part constituted Roman juries cannot have had any great respect for the Greek nation. In the second part, 1830, he turns from literature to poetry and brings Archias into the discussion (Archias is not referred to at all in 1317), arguing that poetry, and a fortiori Archias, is useful to society. In 62 B.C.E., the poet Archias, Marcus Tullius Cicero's childhood tutor, faced prosecution based on the tribunal law of Gaius Papius, which expelled non-Roman citizens from Rome. JavaScript is disabled for your browser. C. also knows when less is more. If they condemn Archias, then they will also be rejecting this flattering picture of themselves. This is understandable in view of the higher social status of the Metelli. The first point to bear in mind, then, is that this passage is, formally at least, the second stage of Ciceros argument as announced at 4a. Cicero cannot conceal or explain away Archias' occupation, and so he has no choice but to make a virtue of it. His aim is to draw attention to Archias' profession and appeal to his value in Roman culture. After a brief hit at philosophers for their hypocrisy in writing their names on the books they have written, we are back with Roman generals once again: D. Junius Brutus Callaicus inscribed his monuments with poems by Accius, and M. Fulvius Nobilior dedicated his spoils of war to the Muses ( 26b27). D. 1.79).7 The other consul, Marius, though reputedly uninterested in Greek culture, approved of Archias poem on Marius own defeat of the Cimbri in 101 ( 19). Abstract. Anth. In 62 Archias was prosecuted under this law. Etenim omnes artes quae ad humanitatem pertinent habent quoddam commune vinclum et quasi cognatione quadam inter se continentur. First there is the genuine sense of gratitude he felt towards his old teacher ( 1), a factor which should not be cynically denied. The technique is similar to that employed the previous year in Pro Murena (Mur. The sententious and lyrical language in which the point is made effectively proves the point ( 16): Nam ceterae neque temporum sunt neque aetatum omnium neque locorum; at haec studia adulescentiam acuunt, senectutem oblectant, secundas res ornant, adversis perfugium ac solacium praebent, delectant domi, non impediunt foris, pernoctant nobiscum, peregrinantur, rusticantur. I suggest that, on the contrary, Ciceros defence is wholly unaffected by the fact that he is speaking before his brother, and that the reference at the end of the speech is no more than a friendly nod to someone who, until this moment, he has had to treat exactly as he would any other praetor. In this chapter I shall briefly review the historical circumstances of Archias trial, and then discuss the speech itself and some of the issues it raises, especially that of why the encomium of literature is included, and how it contributes to the defence. As an honorary citizen of Heraclea, Archias satisfied condition (a), and as a long-standing resident of Rome he satisfied condition (b). Our information about Archias derives almost exclusively from Ciceros speech. If Archias accuser is indeed connected with Pompey, as seems likely, then the reference has added point: in seeking to deprive Lucullus man of his citizenship, Grattius is ignoring the precedent set by his own patron. (Cic. The reason for this, Cicero continues, is that there is no one who is unwilling to have his own deeds immortalized in verse (this was indeed true in his own case, as he will later reveal). P. MacKendrick on the other hand, divides it into four parts, 1217a, 17b22, 237, and 2830.24 Without wishing to dispute either of these schemes, I prefer myself to divide the passage into just two basic parts. The prosecution of Archias was probably undertaken, as we have seen, by a supporter of Pompey, and was directed not so much against Archias as against his patron L. Lucullus. The commentary likewise alerts students to some hallmarks of Ciceros Latin (e.g. erature or the humanities and the law, the defense of Archias the poet is indeed a story worth recounting today and for ages hence.' Due to an eloquent, lengthy, and, arguendo, even quite unnecessary digression, Cicero's speech on the poet's behalf, Pro Auluo Licinio Archia Poeta Oratio, has justly achieved a measure Gotoff (cited n. 1) 81; Porter (cited n. 14) 144 f. This seems to have been the usual number: see, On the hostility of the late-Republican Roman ruling class to Greek philosophy (and to the Greek language) see. The next example, however, is that of Pompey giving Roman citizenship to Theophanes of Mytilene.31 This parallel is less valid since Theophanes was not a poet but a prose historian (scriptorem,writer, is the ambiguous word Cicero uses). Such language does not occur often in Ciceros speeches, at least after the earlier ones:27 as we have already observed, the style of this speech is pitched at a higher level than normal. One quibble: it seems odd that C. defines civitas only as citizenship in the vocabularies, although Cicero also employs civitas in the more familiar meaning city (C. gives this sense, however, in the note cum translation at the end of section 6). This is because he was my teacher. This chapter examines the influence of Cicero's ancient defense of the poet Archias on the structure of Du Bois's argument in defense of full civil rights and access to liberal education for African Americans. OLD locus 17 and TLL VII, 1588, 38 ff. As M. L. Clarke has pointed out, Archias was not the only one of Ciceros boyhood teachers whom he went out of his way to help: he had Diodotus to live in his house after he had become old and blind (Brut. The Pro Archia, then, is an oration with a complex network of layered meaning with broad cultural implications both for Cicero's audience and for readers today. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. During his school days, he showed "unusual talent as a poet.". The introductory material places the Pro Archia among Ciceros most aesthetically powerful orations and stresses the speechs championing of humanistic principles. The digressio, then, is not simply an instrument of persuasion, it is also an elegant essay that would have been as appealing to its original audience as it has been to readers down the ages. In Pro Archia, then, it is partly in order to minimize the political element that Cicero places so much emphasis on literary questions. (Watts translation[4]). So much for the historical circumstances; I now turn to examine the speech itself The structure is, in its main divisions, extremely straightforward. It is this potential prejudice that Cicero has to overcome in the remainder of the speech. 54). Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. Reading guide for Cicero Pro Archia and Lucretius on the Nature of BMCR provides the opportunity to comment on reviews in order to enhance scholarly communication. 41.3, 42.4), and in politics they shared the same conservative outlook. Archias did not appear on the Roman census because he was away on campaign with Lucullus at each time they were taken. In a possible reminiscence of this passage, Sallust tells us that Q. Fabius Maximus Verrucosus and the elder Scipio were said to have been spurred on to virtuous deeds by contemplating the masks of their ancestors (Jug. Archias wrote poems of the general's military exploits, and in 93 BC, Lucullus helped him gain citizenship of the municipium of Heraclea. He continues ( 14): Sed pleni omnes sunt libri, plenae sapientium voces, plena exemplorum vetustas; quae iacerent in tenebris omnia, nisi litterarum lumen accederet. Aulus Licinius Archias - Wikipedia Literature, he says, provides him with material for his speeches: it is therefore useful (this argument incidentally helps to reinforce the impression, given in the exordium, that Archias has in some way played a part in Ciceros rhetorical training). He does so by presenting poetry in a particular way likely to appeal to his audience. By Adam Reiss and Dareh Gregorian. At its most basic, the speech itself constitutes the Expressions of thanks or praise should be sent directly to the reviewer, using the email address in the review. He starts with his trademark periodic sentence by depicting his strengths of natural talent, experience, and strategy while appearing humble and inferior to the qualities of his client. In any case, Archias is mentioned once more by Cicero, in a philosophical treatise of 44, with affection (Div. Cicero: Pro Archia Poeta Oratio - Google Books Please subscribe or login. Macrob. From the persuasive point of view, it is the second of these questions that is the more difficult, and therefore the more interesting. 61, already quoted). He does, it is true, make an exception for the Greeks of Achaea, who could point to a more distinguished, if remote, past, and lived closer to Rome. Inst. Classical Art History, History of Scholarship of, Greek Domestic Architecture c.800 bce to c.100 bce, History of Modern Classical Scholarship (Since 1750), The. These great men would surely never have taken up the study of literature had it not been of help to them in attaining and practicing excellence. Sat. Cicero now moves on to the confirmatio, which, because of the simplicity of the case, is almost as brief as the narratio. He finally arrived at Rome in 102, when C. Marius and Q. Lutatius Catulus were consuls. 1.25; Quint. 1.19.6, 1.20.3; cf. Obviously, it will take . A distinction is then made between those like Cicero who study literature and apply it to a useful end, such as defending people in court, and those who study it but make no practical use of it; the latter category, Cicero says, should be ashamed of themselves. Grattius, of course, has already delivered his speech, and has not asked such a question, but the question gives Cicero an excuse to embark upon his digression and, later, to parade Archias virtues. He is represented as a genius, and as equalling theancient writers (veterum scriptorum)a phrase which leaves it conveniently vague whether we are to think of Greeks (Homer) or Romans (Ennius). First, Archias was a literary man, a poet, and this is a factor which was potentially prejudicial to the defence. It is for that reason that many noble Romans had a poet to write for them. Abstract. C. also promotes invaluable reading strategies along the way. If Archias was Ciceros grammatikos, he would have taught him to recite Homer and other Greek poets, and the vocal training that this involved may genuinely have helped him on his way to becoming a great orator. 5.11.25, 8.3.75, 9.4.44, 11.1.34, 11.3.84, 11.3.167). This is done in the briefest way possible: Cicero simply says that Greek is spoken virtually everywhere whereas Latin is not, and it is desirable that all the nations that Rome has conquered should be able to read of her glory. Archias was acquitted, as he surely deserved to be: of Ciceros clients, Archias is one of those of whom we can say with most certainty that he was innocent of the crime with which he was charged.15 We hear of him again in 61, presumably still living in Rome, and contemplating writing a poem for the Metelli (Att. In Defense of the Poet Archias Marcus Tullius Cicero Context Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus Lucius Licinius Lucullus Cicero Terms Magnus - Pompey Theophanes the Mitylenaean - Pompey's Poet Sulla - Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (82-79 BC) by Cesare Maccari Archias Gratius 62 B.C. NFL Draft 2023 winners and losers: Eagles, Seahawks get stronger The testimony of Ennius (which can hardly be considered impartial! Archias was a Greek poet, a native of Antioch, who came to Rome in the train of Lucullus, when Cicero was a child. Poetry, Latin: From the Beginnings through the End of the Roman Italy, 4th Century bce to 3rd Century ce, Theoderic the Great and Ostrogothic Italy, Transmission of Greek and Latin Literature. The brief introduction (Section B) includes the background of the trial, defense strategy, date, outcome (probably acquittal), and an outline of the speech. Lucullus must have helped to bring about Ciceros election to the consulship, and in July 63 Cicero in return had enabled Lucullus to celebrate his long-delayed triumph (Cic. Archiass defense was undertaken by a former pupil of his, the previous years Consul, Marcus Tullius Cicero. He starts with two chiastic structures identifying his witnesses, Lucius Lucullus and the embassy, and then ridicules the prosecution with a tricolon crescendo. By now Cicero may or may not have persuaded the jury of Archias legal claim. In this passage (which comprises less than two-thirds of the Latin sentence) the atmosphere of high culture is conveyed not only by what Cicero is saying but very largely by the sophisticated way in which the clauses are accumulated and integrated. Cicero says that he attracted the attention of the Metelli Numidicus and Pius, M. Aemilius Scaurus, and L. Crassus, and also that he was on close terms with M. Livius Drusus (the tribune of 91), the Octavii, Cato (the father of Uticensis), and the Hortensii ( 6).8 During this period the young Cicero also received instruction from Archias ( 1): Archias was presumably his Greek grammatikos.9. The comparison with Ennius at last brings Cicero to answer the objection that Archias writes in Greek ( 23). This, then, is the attitude with which Cicero, himself derided as awee Greek (Graeculus) by his detractors (Dio 46.18.1; cf. Cicero makes a final emotional appeal to the jury. Commanders NFL Draft takeaways: Defense adds juice, but was the value Just about all that the two men had in common was that they were both at some point represented in court by Cicero (they were also linked by the fact that Archias, like his patron Catulus (Nat.
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