In On the Ideal Orator, (De oratore), Cicero, the greatest Roman orator and prosewriter of his day, gives his mature views on rhetoric, oratory, and philosophy. Cast in the lively, literary form of a dialogue, this classic work presents a daring view of the orator as the master of all language communication while still emphasizing his role at the heart of Roman society and politics. Cicero's conception of the ideal orator represents his own original synthesis of the positions of the philosophers and the rhetoricians in the age-old quarrel between these disciplines. The first translation of De oratore in over fifty years, this volume is ideal for courses on Cicero and on the history of rhetoric/oratory. James May and Jakob Wisse provide an accurate and accessible translation which is based on--and contributes to--recent advances in our understanding of De oratore and of the many aspects of ancient rhetoric, philosophy, and history relevant to it. Their translation reflects the many variations of Cicero's style, which are essential ingredients of the work. The volume includes extensive annotation, based on current scholarship and offering significant original contributions as well. It is also enhanced by a full introduction covering all important aspects of both the work and its historical background; appendices on Cicero's works, figures of thought and speech, and alternate manuscript readings; a glossary of terms from rhetoric and Roman life and politics; and a comprehensive index of names and places.

Cicero: On the Ideal Orator

Literature & Fiction

May, James M.

Wisse, Jakob

History & Criticism

Oxford University Press

By its very nature, the art of oratory involves character.  Verbal persuasion entails the presentation of a persona by the speaker that affects an audience for good or ill.  In this book, James May explores the role and extent of Cicero's use of ethos and demonstrates its persuasive effect.  May discusses the importance of ethos, not just in classical rhetorical theory but also in the social, political, and judicial milieu of ancient Rome, and then applies his insights to the oratory of Cicero.Ciceronian ethos was a complex blend of Roman tradition, Cicero's own personality, and selected features of Greek and Roman oratory.  More than any other ancient literary genre, oratory dealt with constantly changing circumstances, with a wide variety of rhetorical challenges.  An orator's success or failure, as well as the artistic quality of his orations, was largely the direct result of his responses to these circumstances and challenges.  Acutely aware of his audience and its cultural heritage and steeped in the rhetorical traditions of his predecessors, Cicero employed rhetorical ethos with uncanny success.May analyzes individual speeches from four different periods of Cicero's career, tracing changes in the way Cicero depicted character, both his own and others', as a source of persuasion--changes intimately connected with the vicissitudes of Cicero's career and personal life.  He shows that ethos played a major role in almost every Ciceronian speech, that Cicero's audiences were conditioned by common beliefs about character, and finally, that Cicero's rhetorical ethos became a major source for persuasion in his oratory.

Trials of Character: The Eloquence of Ciceronian Ethos

The University of North Carolina Press

By its very nature, the art of oratory involves character. Verbal persuasion entails the presentation of a persona by the speaker that affects an audience for good or ill. In this book, James May explores the role and extent of Cicero's use of ethos and demonstrates its persuasive effect. May discusses the importance of ethos, not just in classical rhetorical theory but also in the social, political, and judicial milieu of ancient Rome, and then applies his insights to the oratory of Cicero.Ciceronian ethos was a complex blend of Roman tradition, Cicero's own personality, and selected features of Greek and Roman oratory. More than any other ancient literary genre, oratory dealt with constantly changing circumstances, with a wide variety of rhetorical challenges. An orator's success or failure, as well as the artistic quality of his orations, was largely the direct result of his responses to these circumstances and challenges. Acutely aware of his audience and its cultural heritage and steeped in the rhetorical traditions of his predecessors, Cicero employed rhetorical ethos with uncanny success.May analyzes individual speeches from four different periods of Cicero's career, tracing changes in the way Cicero depicted character, both his own and others', as a source of persuasion--changes intimately connected with the vicissitudes of Cicero's career and personal life. He shows that ethos played a major role in almost every Ciceronian speech, that Cicero's audiences were conditioned by common beliefs about character, and finally, that Cicero's rhetorical ethos became a major source for persuasion in his oratory.

These forty-six Classical Greek readings provide entertaining and thought-provoking passages, in increasing difficulty, from the great authors of Classical Greece, from Plato and Xenophon, to Aesop, Aristophanes, Thucydides. Forty-Six Stories can be used for translation, reading, exploring Greek culture, and reviewing grammar and vocabulary. Features:
<ul>
<li>Readings arranged in order of complexity to match the typical first-year course</li>
<li>Vocabulary and grammar notes appear on facing pages</li>
<li>Brief introductions provide background information</li>
<li>A complete glossary includes all of the words in the readings</li>
<li>Readings keyed to lessons of Groton’s From Alpha to Omega: A Beginning Course in Classical Greek 4th Edition
</li>
</ul>

Forty-Six Stories in Classical Greek (Ancient Greek and English Edition)

Reference

Groton, Anne H.

Foreign Language Study & Reference

Focus

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Books by May, James M.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by May, James M.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Cicero: On the Ideal Orator

Trials of Character: The Eloquence of Ciceronian Ethos

Trials of Character: The Eloquence of Ciceronian Ethos

Forty-Six Stories in Classical Greek (Ancient Greek and English Edition)