Cicero's Role Models

This book is about the famous Roman orator and statesman Cicero and his rhetorical and political strategy as a newcomer in Roman republican politics. Henriette van der Blom argues that Cicero advertised himself as a follower of chosen models of behaviour from the past - his role models - and in turn presented himself as a role model to others. This new angle provides fresh insights into the political and literary career of one of the best-known Romans, and into the political discourse of the late Roman Republic.

ISBN	0199582939	Pages	400
ISBN13	9780199582938 (What's this?)	Weight (grammes)	752
Publisher	Oxford University Press	Published in	Oxford
Imprint	Oxford University Press	Series title	Oxford Classical Monographs
Format	Hardback	Height (mm)	238
Publication date	22 Sep 2010	Width (mm)	161
DEWEY	937.05092	Spine width (mm)	28
DEWEY edition	DC22	Academic level	Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Professional / Scholarly

	Preface
	List of abbreviations
	Introduction	1
1	Mos, maiores, and historical exempla in Roman culture and society	12
2	Mos, maiores, and historical exempla in Cicero	18
PART I	CICERO THE HOMO NOVUS	27
3	Cicero's background and education	29
4	Nobilis and homo novus	35
PART II	CICERO'S USE OF HISTORICAL EXEMPLA	61
5	Definitions of historical exemplum and personal exemplum	65
6	The nature and functions of historical exempla	73
	Creation of historical exempla	77
	The choice of historical exempla	82
	The problem of credibility	103
	The importance of genre	128
	Conclusion	144
PART III	CICERO'S ROLE MODELS	149
7	Cicero's alternative claims to ancestry	151
	Great Romans as general exempla for all Romans	152
	Homines novi as exempla	158
	Personal exempla	166
8	Cicero's use of personal exempla	175
	An aspiring new man	175
	The homo novus consul	183
	Exile and triumphant recall	194
	The orator-statesman outside politics	225
	In the mould of Scaevola: Cicero in Cilicia	238
	The response of an intellectual	241
	More...

van der Blom's book is an engaging, interesting, and satisfying read, and one that will contribute significantly to the ongoing Ciceronisn project.

Blackwell review:
An engaging re-evaluation of Cicero, arguing that the way he emulated orators of the past was his method of fighting traditional Roman theories of political power through familial descent.

An engaging re-evaluation of Cicero, arguing that the way he emulated orators of the past was his method of fighting traditional Roman theories of political power through familial descent.

An engaging re-evaluation of Cicero, arguing that the way he emulated orators of the past was his method of fighting traditional Roman theories of political power through familial descent.

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The Political Strategy of a Newcomer

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