Public Opinion and Politics in the Late Roman Republic

This Book Investigates The Working Mechanisms Of Public Opinion In Late Republican Rome As A Part Of Informal Politics. It Explores The Political Interaction (and Sometimes Opposition) Between The Elite And The People Through Various Means, Such As Rumours, Gossip, Political Literature, Popular Verses And Graffiti. It Also Proposes The Existence Of A Public Sphere In Late Republican Rome And Analyses Public Opinion In That Time As A System Of Control. By Applying The Spatial Turn To Politics, It Becomes Possible To Study Sociability And Informal Meetings Where Public Opinion Circulated. What Emerges Is A Wider Concept Of The Political Participation Of The People, Not Just Restricted To Voting Or Participating In The Assemblies. Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. Public Opinion In Rome: Definition, Models And Constraints -- 1.1. How Public Opinion Was Expressed And Understood In The Late Roman Republic -- 1.2. Public Opinion And The Debate On The Political Nature Of The Late Roman Republic -- 1.3. Public Opinion And Informal Politics -- 1.4. Theoretical Considerations And Models Of Public Opinion -- 1.5. Censorship And Public Opinion During The Late Roman Republic -- 1.5.1. Legal Constraints: Censuring Writings And Speech -- 1.5.2. Censorship In Practice Before 49 Bc -- 2. Sociability And Politics -- 2.1. The Physical Background Of Public Opinion: Walking And Promenading As A Political Tool -- 2.2. Locations And Occasions Of Sociability And Public Opinion In Rome -- 2.2.1. The Forum And Its Surroundings -- 2.2.2. Outside The Forum: Compita, Streets, And Neighbourhoods -- 2.2.3. Houses -- 3. Rumours, Gossip And Conversations In Roman Political Life -- 3.1. Rumours And Politics In Rome -- 3.2. Circulation Of Rumours Outside Rome -- 3.3. Rumours, Gossip And Social Discipline -- 4. Political Literature And Public Opinion (i): Defining Political Literature -- 4.1. Authorship -- 4.2. Audience And Literacy -- 4.3. Distribution And Circulation -- 5. Political Literature And Public Opinion (ii): Genres Of Political Literature -- 5.1. Saturn, Verse, Popular Verse -- 5.2. Political Literature In Prose -- 5.2.1. Pamphlets Or Tracts -- 5.2.2. Open Letters -- 5.2.3. Memoirs And Historical Writings -- 5.2.4. Graffiti And Placards -- 6. Groups And Agents Of Public Opinion -- 6.1. Groups Of Public Opinion -- 6.2. Leaders And Movers Of Public Opinion -- 6.3. Disseminators Of News And Public Opinion -- 6.4. Misreading Public Opinion: The Case Of Caesar's Murder -- 7. Rhetoric And Public Opinion: Theory And Practice -- 7.1. How To Deal With The Audience According To Latin Rhetoricians -- 7.2. The Orator Before Public Opinion -- 7.3. Public Opinion In Practice In The Courts Of Justice -- 7.3.1. The Speeches Against Verres -- 7.3.2. Pro Cluentio -- 7.3.3. Pro Rabirio Postumo -- 8. Conclusions -- 8.1. Public Opinion And The Public Sphere In The Late Roman Republic -- 8.2. Public Opinion In The Early Principate. Cristina Rosillo-lópez, Universidad Pablo De Olavide. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Cover 1 Half-title page 3 Title page 5 Copyright page 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 List of Map 11 Acknowledgements 12 Introduction 15 Chapter 1 Public Opinion in Rome: Definition, Models and Constraints 20 1.1 How Public Opinion Was Expressed and Understood in the Late Roman Republic 20 1.2 Public Opinion and the Debate on the Political Nature of the Late Roman Republic 26 1.3 Public Opinion and Informal Politics 30 1.4 Theoretical Considerations and Models of Public Opinion 32 1.5 Censorship and Public Opinion during the Late Roman Republic 41 1.5.1 Legal Constraints: Censuring Writings and Speech 44 1.5.2 Censorship in Practice before 49 BC 48 Chapter 2 Sociability and Politics 56 2.1 The Physical Background of Public Opinion: Walking and Promenading as a Political Tool 57 2.2 Locations and Occasions of Sociability and Public Opinion in Rome 61 2.2.1 The Forum and Its Surroundings 66 2.2.2 Outside the Forum: Compita, Streets, and Neighbourhoods 78 2.2.3 Houses 84 Chapter 3 Rumours, Gossip and Conversations in Roman Political Life 89 3.1 Rumours and Politics in Rome 92 3.2 Circulation of Rumours Outside Rome 101 3.3 Rumours, Gossip and Social Discipline 107 Chapter 4 Political Literature and Public Opinion (I): Defining Political Literature 112 4.1 Authorship 116 4.2 Audience and Literacy 120 4.3 Distribution and Circulation 123 Chapter 5 Political Literature and Public Opinion (II): Genres of Political Literature 133 5.1 Satura, Verse, Popular Verse 134 5.2 Political Literature in Prose 145 5.2.1 Pamphlets or Tracts 146 5.2.2 Open Letters 155 5.2.3 Memoirs and Historical Writings 156 5.2.4 Graffiti and Placards 158 Chapter 6 Groups and Agents of Public Opinion 169 6.1 Groups of Public Opinion 171 6.2 Leaders and Movers of Public Opinion 185 6.3 Disseminators of News and Public Opinion 189 6.4 Misreading Public Opinion: The Case of Caesar’s Murder 201 Chapter 7 Rhetoric and Public Opinion: Theory and Practice 210 7.1 How to Deal with the Audience according to Latin Rhetoricians 211 7.2 The Orator before Public Opinion 215 7.3 Public Opinion in Practice in the Courts of Justice 218 7.3.1 The Speeches against Verres 218 7.3.2 Pro Cluentio 224 7.3.3 Pro Rabirio Postumo 228 Chapter 8 Conclusions 233 8.1 Public Opinion and the Public Sphere in the Late Roman Republic 233 8.2 Public Opinion in the Early Principate 243 Bibliography 250 Index of People 279 Subject Index 283 This book investigates the working mechanisms of public opinion in the politics of Late Republican Rome. It explores the political interaction (and sometimes opposition) between the elite and the people through rumours, gossip, political literature, popular verses and graffiti, and also argues for a wider conception of political participation by the people.