{"product_id":"9780674995116-declamations-volume-ii-controversiae-books-710-suasoriae-fragments","title":"Declamations, Volume II","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eControversiae, Books 7–10.  Suasoriae. Fragments\u003cbr\u003eSeneca the Elder collected ten books devoted to \u003ci\u003econtroversiae\u003c\/i\u003e (some only preserved in excerpt) and at least one (surviving) of \u003ci\u003esuasoriae\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMock trial—Roman style.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRoman  secondary education aimed principally at training future lawyers and  politicians. Under the late Republic and the Empire, the main instrument  was an import from Greece: declamation, the making of practice speeches  on imaginary subjects. There were two types of such speeches: \u003ci\u003econtroversiae\u003c\/i\u003e on law-court themes, \u003ci\u003esuasoriae\u003c\/i\u003e  on deliberative topics. On both types a prime source of our knowledge  is the work of Lucius Annaeus Seneca, a Spaniard from Cordoba, father of  the distinguished philosopher. Towards the end of his long life (?55  BC–?AD 40) he collected together ten books devoted to \u003ci\u003econtroversiae\u003c\/i\u003e (some only preserved in excerpt) and at least one (surviving) of \u003ci\u003esuasoriae\u003c\/i\u003e.  These books contained his memories of the famous rhetorical teachers  and practitioners of his day: their lines of argument, their methods of  approach, their idiosyncrasies, and above all their epigrams. The  extracts from the declaimers, though scrappy, throw invaluable light on  the influences that colored the styles of most pagan (and many  Christian) writers of the Empire. Unity is provided by Seneca’s own  contribution, the lively prefaces, engaging anecdotes about speakers,  writers, and politicians, and brisk criticism of declamatory excess.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56449711833462,"sku":"9780674995116","price":25.27,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_41275761.jpg?v=1779037756","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9780674995116-declamations-volume-ii-controversiae-books-710-suasoriae-fragments","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}