Declamation

Declamations (Latin: declamatio ) were exercise speeches through which the budding orators trained in rhetoric classes.

In the modern sense declaim means as much as artfully poetic texts present ( to recite ), also: keep a persuasive speech.

" Declamation " is also used derogatory in the sense of theatrical exaggeration.

Definition

The phenomenon of declamation as such throughout the Greco-Roman antiquity (and not just the entire ancient world, but also in the Middle Ages and in modern times ) is known and backdate in its origins at least to the time of the Sophists. It goes back to the general presentation of poetic works in preliterate cultures.

Even in ancient Rome, in the time of Cicero, however, the declamatio was not only part of the rhetoric of teaching, but also a private activity, even for those who had already completed the training to become speaker. To have Cicero claims to be, as much as any other declaims ( Tusc. Disp. 1,4,7 ), and leads the fading of the oratory of Hortensius to its neglect of declamation back ( Brut. 320).

With the transition from republic to principate the schools of rhetoric were to a certain extent to the most striking institution of eloquence, as the People's Assembly and the Senate disappeared completely atrophied to the command receiver of the emperor. The rhetoric of teaching no longer made ​​so much out of the policy and developed an aesthetic value of eloquence.

In addition to the declamation at school and in private came a third function: the declamation speech as a show that is not trained, but was operated for its own sake and a cheer -giving audience was presented. In this context, one speaks of the " Concert rhetoric " and the fact that the schools of rhetoric in the Empire to a theater were and had the goal to entertain the audience.

The political changes also made ​​itself felt in a different way in the declamatory teaching. The contents of the declamations changed, he stabbed ever from reality. Practice talking with bogus and unrealistic themes were dominant, which has since led to the sometimes harsh criticism of them.

A distinction is made on the basis of Seneca the Elder. between two types of declamation: the controversiae and suasoriae. The controversiae were the surrogate of the real court speech, in which was presented a real or a fictitious legal case in the pros and cons. The suasoriae were, accordingly, the surrogate of deliberative speech, in which was a mythical or historical figure to get something or discouraged by something. The demagogues could talk as long as they wanted, and take the party to them popular. Often they were received on enemy objections that were not expressed and were purely imaginary.

Ancient sources

There are three major ancient sources that give us an insight into the Deklamationswesen. This is on the one hand, the rhetorical works of Seneca the Elder. , On the other, the pseudo- quintilianischen declamations, and for the third it is the declamations, which provides us with Calpurnius Flaccus.

The rhetorical works of Seneca the Elder.

Seneca the Elder. written in his old age - he was already over 90 years old - the Scripture Oratorum et rhetorum sententiae divisiones colores. As he says in the Praefatio to the first book, so he pays the request of his three sons Novatus, Seneca the Younger and Mela, the father of Lucan, tribute. Seneca the Elder. itself was probably never rhetorician and also not a lawyer, but he was diligent listener among the most famous orators and rhetoricians of his time. Only Cicero did he can not hear, he complains, since the civil war have prevented this.

His rhetorical work includes ten books controversiae and suasoriae a book. In these 74 legal cases and 7 Suasorien be treated. The work from my own experience reflects the transition from Republic to Empire. And so is it Seneca the Elder. also one of the first to describe the transformation of the Republican rhetoric toward the imperial eloquence than decay.

As a source for the immense material, Seneca the Elder. provides us, he calls only his memory and tries to confirm this assertion by the fact that he refers to his former abilities to repeat 2000 names in the correct order and more than 200 verses that were mentioned him. Even if you Seneca the Elder. an extraordinary mnemonics concedes, yet much evidence that he has used written sources.

The pseudo- quintilianischen declamations

Under Quintilian name two collections of declamations have survived, the maiores and declamationes the declamationes minores. In both collections, it is assumed that they have been falsely attributed to Quintilian.

The corpus of the smaller declamations originally consisted of 388 declamations, of which only the last 145 are come down to us. They differ in their length, since they partly reflect a whole declamation, sometimes only one cutout. They are often initiated by a sermo or interrupted, in which the speech teacher comes to word and gives advice for holding the declamation. In contrast to Seneca the Elder. assigns the author of the collection of the declamations not after sententiae, divisiones and colores and also by no other principle of order. Your disorder is also reflected in the fact that the subjects of two declamations are identical.

This led to the assumption that the smaller declamations were never intended for publication. Winterbottom argued that they do not represent the notes of one or more students, but the estate of a speech teacher are. This they have made ​​for their own purposes and partly revised, which explains the double occurrence of individual themes and passages. The sermones would thus notes that have helped the speech teacher to present the declamations against the students. The authorship is - as mentioned - controversial. As Winterbottom reveals a number of parallels, it must, if it was not Quintilian himself, have been an avid reader of his Institutes oratoria. For the dating, therefore, would the first or second century AD in question.

The larger declamations are the only full practice speeches that have been preserved. There are 19 pieces that will be presented without comment. Although they have been handed down under Quintilian's name, it is considered to be quite sure that they are not from him, but were written by several rhetoric teachers. They are probably to be dated to the second century AD or later.

The declamations of Calpurnius Flaccus

The Declamationum Excerpta, which provides Calpurnius Flaccus, are the smallest collection of declamations. There are excerpts from 53 declamations, which are neither commented, play or complete speeches, but throw a special attention to the sententiae which occurred in the practice speeches.

A major problem by the question, who is the author of the font and when it was written. You may be the author of the consul suffectus from the year 96 AD Perhaps is it in Calpurnius Flaccus also the addressee of a letter by Pliny the Younger and thus may have been a pupil of Quintilian. However, these are mere speculations because of the same name, and due to lack of evidence. Probably the script was written in the late first or second century AD. The criteria for this are the style and word usage that emerge from the text itself.

Presence

The lecture or recitation from memory is also in the presence of a type of event, run by all professional reciters, theater actors, but also amateurs.