RATIONES RERUM 25: Articolo Henriette van der Blom

Descrizione

Rationes Rerum 25

HENRIETTE VAN DER BLOM
Orator-audience dynamics in Valerius Maximus’ Facta et dicta

Orator-audience dynamics are central to the modern debate about Roman republican politics, focusing on the contio. The contional speech occasion was a two-way communication, allowing audiences (some) agency. Valerius’ Facta et dicta (27-31 AD) includes significant material to complement that of Cicero. Taking the methodological issues of Valerius’ work into account, this article discusses two descriptions of orator-audience dynamics in the Roman contio: Scipio Aemilianus in 129 BC and Aemilius Scaurus in 90 BC. Both provide valuable insights, such as the possibility of reversing the hostility of a crowd by praising its identity and highlighting its crucial role in the Roman state, and that Valerius’ stories apparently generated some interest at a time when the contio had lost most of its political influence.