Research Question
What rhetorical techniques does Tacitus use
to convey his vision of the past?
Thesis Statement
Publius Cornelius Tacitus used a variety of
rhetorical techniques to convey his emotions regarding the incidents of the
past.
Summary
Besides some traditional and non-traditional
techniques, Tacitus made the wise use of sententia to clarify Rome’s image
during the imperial period. Sententia is regarded as the supreme rhetorical
proof of ancient times, and the imperial period is called Principate. The
surviving portions of his major works (the Histories and the Annals) have
examined the reigns of Nero, Claudius, and Tiberius.
Outline
Paragraph#1
Topic
Sentence
The technique of sententious speech has been
exemplified by Cornelius Tacitus’ the Histories and the Annals.
The
Piece of Ancient Evidence
According to the information provided in the
article titled Rhetorical Analysis: Magazine Advertisements, sentential has
always been a favorite rhetorical technique of ancient English writers. It can
be defined as a prose epigram or generalizing maxim. In the Annals and the
Histories, a lot of examples are present that make us understand that sententia
has had been the most accepted and famous rhetorical technique.
Why
Is This Piece of Ancient Evidence Helpful or Related?
This piece of evidence can be of help as it
provides sufficient information on the history of sententia. It also talks
about what role has sententia played in the Principate. I may have to talk
about the usefulness of sentential to prove the viewpoint of Tacitus, which is
why this source is beneficial. It also sheds light on what self-image is and
what forms of sententia are more common than the others.
Paragraph#2
Topic
Sentence
Various examples of sententia exist in the
history of Rome, and their proper understanding can help us know more about the
whole narration of Tiberius's principate.
The
Piece of Ancient Evidence
In his article titled Suetonius and Cassius
Dio, Han Baltussen mentions that in Annales 1-6, agents or individual episodes
serve as an opportunity for Tacitus for categorizing events and people in
history. Tiberius and other emperors took initiatives regarding explaining the
difference between sententia and other rhetorical techniques. This helped
Tiberius become one of the most recognized and famous historians.
Why
Is This Piece of Ancient Evidence Helpful or Related?
This piece of ancient evidence is related to
my research question and thesis statement as it provides enough information on
how, why and when Tacitus categorized people and events of the history with the
help of sententia. It also talks about why did he not use any other rhetorical
technique. I intend to mention why sententia is more than a traditional
technique of self-representation.
Paragraph#3
Topic
Sentence
Some argue that Tacitus’ excessive dependence
on sententia has been out of context.
The
Piece of Ancient Evidence
According to Myles Lavan’s article titled
Empire and Slavery in Tacitus, it was good if Tacitus had used allusion as the
core rhetorical technique. The allusion is the reference given to an event,
person or place. It could help Tacitus come up with better explanations of the
incidents of the past.
Why
This Piece of Ancient Evidence is Helpful or Related?
This piece of ancient evidence looks useful
to me, as the idea of using allusion rather than sententia is valid in a lot of
ways. I would like to differentiate between the two concepts and then come up
with whether Tacitus’ decision of using the concept of sententia was correct or
not. This source would be of great help in this regard.
Paragraph#4
Topic
Sentence
Rhetorical devices, also called persuasive
devices or stylistic devices, are used by speakers and authors to clarify their
point of views.
The
Piece of Ancient Evidence
According to the information provided in the
article titled A Most Dangerous Book: Tacitus Germania from the Roman Empire to
the Third Reich, Tacitus was the first to emphasize the need for using sententia.
He targeted his audience using this technique and shed light on different
aspects of the history of Rome. This does not mean he was unaware of other
rhetorical techniques.
Why
Is This Piece of Ancient Evidence Helpful or Related?
This piece of ancient evidence is related to
my study as it gives details on how Tacitus decided to use sententia as the
core rhetorical technique and what urged him to describe the history from a
unique angle. He used a simple persuasive technique to convince the target
audience.
Conclusion
The allusion is not as effective and useful
as is sententia. However, both of the rhetorical techniques can be used in
varying situations, depending on one’s choice and the style of description.
