The nature and functions of historical exempla

The variations in Cicero's use of historical exempla are enormous. This chapter deals with some of the major questions regarding Cicero's use of such exempla. How is a historical exemplum created? How does the orator (and others) choose among existing historical exempla in order to make a persuasive argument or find a suitable role model in life? How is a historical exemplum interpreted? What factors affect the impact of historical exempla? In assessing these questions, issues such as the historical knowledge of the audience, the nature of stock exempla, the authority of both exemplum and the user of exempla, and the impact of genre on the choice and employment of exempla are considered. The chapter also includes an analysis of references to exempla within families, or ‘family exempla’, in physical expressions such as buildings, coinage, and inscription, and in oratorical practice, set in the context of Roman senatorial culture and political competition.

Archaeology · Argument (complex analysis) · Art · Cicero · Context (archaeology) · Literature · Political science · Politics · Programming language · Unification · Chemistry · Classical Antiquity Studies · Computer Science · History · Law