Physical Excess as a Marker of Genre in the Elder Seneca

This chapter stems from the observation that physical eloquence is often relegated to lesser importance than its linguistic counterpart in Senecan declamation, especially when compared to the wealth of information we have on Cicero’s use of gesture. However, actio remains a pivotal element of Roman declamation. To draw attention to this element, this chapter outlines several types of bodily movement and vocal modulation which Seneca attributes to his declaimers in the Controversiae and Suasoriae . In so doing, it not only describes the practice and function of these actions but also explores how they build into the characteristics of Senecan declamation, which range from the use of personae and sententiae to prose rhythm and the figure of the ideal orator. The analysis ultimately explains why declaimers’ gestures, which are often dismissed as ‘excessive’ by modern readers, acted as effective tools for communication within their original context.

Art · Cicero · Context (archaeology) · Element (criminal law) · Gesture · Linguistics · Literature · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classical Philosophy and Thought · History · Philosophy