Offending the Powerful

Tacitus’ Dialogus de Oratoribus and Safe Criticism

Bibliographic Data

ID9319888
AuthorsThomas E Strunk (0000-0002-3396-0839, 1Xavier University Department of Classics 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45208, USA, Email: [email protected], corresponding author)
Year2010
Volume63
Issue2
Pages241-267
Publication date2010-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMnemosyne (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0026-7074 • E-ISSN: 1568-525X
PublisherBrill (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1163/156852510x456147
OpenAlexW1980572639
LanguageEN
Citations received18

This paper argues that the character of Curiatius Maternus in Tacitus’ Dialogus de Oratoribus is consistent throughout the dialogue in his attitude to the imperial regime. Maternus begins the dialogue in outright dissent, while in the second half he appears to be an apologist for the regime. Accepting the ironic reading of Maternus’ concluding speech, this paper asserts that Maternus shifts to figured speech in reaction to M. Aper, who expresses solidarity with the political values and rhetorical style of the delatores, and Vipstanus Messalla, the half-brother of the delator M. Aquilius Regulus. Confronted with such individuals, Maternus recognizes he must change the tenor of his language. Thus, his concluding speech is ironic critique consistent with his earlier dissent

Art · Brother · Character (mathematics · Criticism · Dissent · Linguistics · Literature · Political science · Politics · Rhetorical question · Solidarity · Style (visual arts · Classical Antiquity Studies · Historical and Literary Studies · Law · Organic Chemistry Synthesis Methods · Philosophy

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