Cicero: De Oratore Book III

The first English commentary on De Oratore in more than a century, examining Book III in depth.

Marcus Tullius Cicero (Author), David Mankin (Edited by)

9780521593601, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 10 March 2011

358 pages
22.4 x 14.5 x 2 cm, 0.59 kg

"...it should be stated emphatically that this is a most welcome addition to the green-and-yellow series. I expect to return to it again and again for help in interpreting this difficult text." ---BMCR

Cicero's De Oratore is one of the masterpieces of Latin prose. A literary dialogue in the Greek tradition, it was written in 55 BCE in the midst of political turmoil at Rome, but reports a discussion 'concerning the (ideal) orator' that supposedly took place in 90 BCE, just before an earlier crisis. Cicero features eminent orators and statesmen of the past as participants in this discussion, presenting competing views on many topics. This edition of Book III is the first since 1893 to provide a Latin text and full introduction and commentary in English. It is intended to help advanced students and others interested in Roman literature to comprehend the grammar and appreciate the stylistic nuances of Cicero's Latin, to trace the historical, literary, and theoretical background of the topics addressed, and to interpret Book III in relation to the rest of De Oratore and to Cicero's other works.

Introduction
De Oratore Book III
Commentary.

Subject Areas: Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], Literary studies: classical, early & medieval [DSBB]