Tacitus’ History of Politically Effective Speech : Truth to Power

"This study examines how Tacitus' representation of speech determines the roles of speakers within the political sphere, and explores the possibility of politically effective speech in the principate. It argues against the traditional scholarly view that Tacitus refuses to offer a positive view of senatorial power in the principate: while senators did experience limitations and changes to what they could achieve in public life, they could aim to create a dimension of political power and efficacy through speeches intended to create and sustain relations which would in turn determine the roles played by both senators or an emperor. Ellen O'Gorman traces Tacitus' own charting of these modes of speech, from flattery and aggression to advice, praise, and censure, and explores how different modes of speech in his histories should be evaluated: not according to how they conform to pre-existing political stances, but as they engender different political worlds in the present and future. The volume goes beyond literary analysis of the texts to create a new framework for studying this essential period in ancient Roman history, much in the same way that Tacitus himself recasts the political authority and presence of senatorial speakers as narrative and historical analysis"--Provided by publisher. "This study examines how Tacitus' representation of speech determines the roles of speakers within the political sphere, and explores the possibility of politically effective speech in the principate. It argues against the traditional scholarly view that Tacitus refuses to offer a positive view of senatorial power in the principate: while senators did experience limitations and changes to what they could achieve in public life, they could aim to create a dimension of political power and efficacy through speeches intended to create and sustain relations which would in turn determine the roles played by both senators or an emperor. Ellen O'Gorman traces Tacitus' own charting of these modes of speech, from flattery and aggression to advice, praise, and censure, and explores how different modes of speech in his histories should be evaluated: not according to how they conform to pre-existing political stances, but as they engender different political worlds in the present and future. The volume goes beyond literary analysis of the texts to create a new framework for studying this essential period in ancient Roman history, much in the same way that Tacitus himself recasts the political authority and presence of senatorial speakers as narrative and historical analysis"-- Provided by publisher Cover page 1 Halftitle page 2 Series page 3 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Preface 10 Introduction 12 1 Imperial regimes of truth 12 2 Senatorial business 26 3 Entering the archive 35 Part One Modes of Speech 40 1 Turpe servitium: The Political World of Flattery 42 1.1 The agency of adulatio 45 1.2 The art of adulatio 54 1.3 Adulatio and honor 58 2 Pro incolumitate principis / ex calamitate civium: The Political World of Predatory Accusation 64 2.1 Delatio, maiestas, and distributed agency 68 2.2 Majesty and harm: the world of maiestas 77 2.3 The speech of delatio 84 3 Servitium rupit: Counter-speech 92 3.1 in adulationem lapsos cohibebat 93 3.2 de praemiis accusatorum abolendis 103 Part Two The Critical Archive 118 4 Existimatio vitae: The Judgement of Character 120 4.1 Emotion, speech, and moral principle 123 4.2 The critical archive of character 134 5 Narratus et traditus: The Transmission of mores 150 5.1 The social network 151 5.2 Genealogies of practice 159 5.3 Future communities 167 Conclusion: sententia 178 Notes 180 Bibliography 208 Index 222