Form and Function in Roman Oratory
The University of Edinburgh
9-11 March 2007
The School of History and Classics at the University of Edinburgh is
pleased to announce a three-day international conference on “Form and
Function in Roman Oratory”, to be held at the University of Edinburgh from
9 to 11 March 2007. Papers will address issues relating to speeches in
any Latin prose genre: in particular, the conference will bring together
specialists in Roman oratory and historiography, with papers on Cicero,
Sallust, Caesar, Livy, Tacitus, Pliny, Apuleius and the late Roman
panegyrics. The theme of the conference, “form and function”, is one
which is fundamental to the genre of oratory, and embraces topics such as
structure and argument; rhetoric and persuasion; narrative and
description; and style, colometry and prose rhythm. Papers will also be
presented on the visual and performative aspects of oratory, and on the
use of speeches in philosophical treatises.
The speakers will include many of the world’s leading specialists in Roman
oratory and historiography. They are, with the provisional titles of
their papers: Professor Dr C.J.Classen (Göttingen), “The philosopher as
rhetorician: Cicero’s De natura deorum”; Professor Anthony Corbeill
(Kansas), “The function of written texts in Cicero’s De haruspicum
responsis”; Professor Christopher P. Craig (Tennessee), “Means and ends of
indignatio in Cicero’s defense speeches”; Dr Glenys Davies
(Edinburgh), “Togate statues and petrified orators”; Professor William
Dominik (Otago), “Tacitus’ and Pliny’s views on the state of imperial
oratory”; Dr Bruce Gibson (Liverpool), “Unending praise: Pliny and ending
panegyric”; Professor H.M.Hine (St Andrews), “Form and function of
speeches in the prose works of the younger Seneca”; Professor Christina S.
Kraus (Yale), “Speech and silence in Caesar, Bellum Gallicum”; Dr Regine
May (Leeds), “The function of verse quotations in Apuleius’ speeches”;
Professor Roland Mayer (King’s College, London), “The form and function of
oratory in Tacitus”; Professor J.G.F.Powell (Royal Holloway), “Procedural
influences on the structure of the argument in Cicero’s defence speeches”;
Professor John T. Ramsey (Chicago), “Sallust’s editorial hand in the
speeches of Caesar and Cato”; Dr Roger Rees (St Andrews), “The function of
narrative in panegyric”; Professor Andrew M. Riggsby (Texas), “Local vs.
global motivation in rhetorical strategy in Cicero’s Second Catilinarian”;
Professor C.J.Smith (St Andrews), “Rhetorical history: the struggle of
the orders in Livy”; Dr Catherine Steel (Glasgow), “Physical presences and
oratorical strategies: contional oratory in the late republic”; Professor
A.J.Woodman (Virginia), “Aliena facundia: Seneca in Tacitus”.
The conference will run from 4.15 p.m. on Friday 9 March to 2 p.m. on
Sunday 11 March 2007.
Further information and a booking form may be found at:
www.shc.ed.ac.uk/news&events/Conferences/index.htm
Five Classical Association bursaries of £100 are available for students at
either undergraduate or postgraduate level with an interest in Roman
oratory. Applications should be made to Dr Andrew Erskine, Classics,
University of Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JX (tel. 0131 650
3591; email Andrew.Erskine AT ed.ac.uk). Applicants should outline why
attendance would be useful to their studies and ask one referee,
preferably their head of department or supervisor, to write briefly in
support of their application. The closing date is 22 January 2007.
The University of Edinburgh
9-11 March 2007
The School of History and Classics at the University of Edinburgh is
pleased to announce a three-day international conference on “Form and
Function in Roman Oratory”, to be held at the University of Edinburgh from
9 to 11 March 2007. Papers will address issues relating to speeches in
any Latin prose genre: in particular, the conference will bring together
specialists in Roman oratory and historiography, with papers on Cicero,
Sallust, Caesar, Livy, Tacitus, Pliny, Apuleius and the late Roman
panegyrics. The theme of the conference, “form and function”, is one
which is fundamental to the genre of oratory, and embraces topics such as
structure and argument; rhetoric and persuasion; narrative and
description; and style, colometry and prose rhythm. Papers will also be
presented on the visual and performative aspects of oratory, and on the
use of speeches in philosophical treatises.
The speakers will include many of the world’s leading specialists in Roman
oratory and historiography. They are, with the provisional titles of
their papers: Professor Dr C.J.Classen (Göttingen), “The philosopher as
rhetorician: Cicero’s De natura deorum”; Professor Anthony Corbeill
(Kansas), “The function of written texts in Cicero’s De haruspicum
responsis”; Professor Christopher P. Craig (Tennessee), “Means and ends of
indignatio in Cicero’s defense speeches”; Dr Glenys Davies
(Edinburgh), “Togate statues and petrified orators”; Professor William
Dominik (Otago), “Tacitus’ and Pliny’s views on the state of imperial
oratory”; Dr Bruce Gibson (Liverpool), “Unending praise: Pliny and ending
panegyric”; Professor H.M.Hine (St Andrews), “Form and function of
speeches in the prose works of the younger Seneca”; Professor Christina S.
Kraus (Yale), “Speech and silence in Caesar, Bellum Gallicum”; Dr Regine
May (Leeds), “The function of verse quotations in Apuleius’ speeches”;
Professor Roland Mayer (King’s College, London), “The form and function of
oratory in Tacitus”; Professor J.G.F.Powell (Royal Holloway), “Procedural
influences on the structure of the argument in Cicero’s defence speeches”;
Professor John T. Ramsey (Chicago), “Sallust’s editorial hand in the
speeches of Caesar and Cato”; Dr Roger Rees (St Andrews), “The function of
narrative in panegyric”; Professor Andrew M. Riggsby (Texas), “Local vs.
global motivation in rhetorical strategy in Cicero’s Second Catilinarian”;
Professor C.J.Smith (St Andrews), “Rhetorical history: the struggle of
the orders in Livy”; Dr Catherine Steel (Glasgow), “Physical presences and
oratorical strategies: contional oratory in the late republic”; Professor
A.J.Woodman (Virginia), “Aliena facundia: Seneca in Tacitus”.
The conference will run from 4.15 p.m. on Friday 9 March to 2 p.m. on
Sunday 11 March 2007.
Further information and a booking form may be found at:
www.shc.ed.ac.uk/news&events/Conferences/index.htm
Five Classical Association bursaries of £100 are available for students at
either undergraduate or postgraduate level with an interest in Roman
oratory. Applications should be made to Dr Andrew Erskine, Classics,
University of Edinburgh, George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JX (tel. 0131 650
3591; email Andrew.Erskine AT ed.ac.uk). Applicants should outline why
attendance would be useful to their studies and ask one referee,
preferably their head of department or supervisor, to write briefly in
support of their application. The closing date is 22 January 2007.