Cornelius Tacitus, Dialogus de oratoribus [The Dialogue on Orators]

Steven Rutledge (The University of Maryland)

Ed. by William John Dominik, University of Otago
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.2: Ancient Roman Writing and Culture (Republic and Empire), -750-476.
Vol. editors: Anca Dan (École Practique de Hautes Études PSL), Martine Diepenbroek (University of Johannesburg), William John Dominik (University of Otago), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Victoria Fendel (University of Oxford), Thomas Habinek (University of Southern California), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Sophia Papaioannou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Guendalina Daniela Maria Taietti (University of Liverpool), Jula Wildberger (American University of Paris)

Dates

First circulation or publication 102

Places

Ancient Rome (Republic & Empire) (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Dialogue

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Tacitus’

Dialogus de oratoribus

[

Dialogue on Orators

] is one of three so-called minor works (along with the

Agricola

and

Germania

) undertaken prior to his better known historical narratives, the

Historiae

and the

Annales

. The dating of the work is problematic, but probably belongs to between 100 and 102 (scholars base the date, in part, on the addressee, Fabius Justus, who held the consulship in 102). It takes as its literary exempla not only Ciceronian dialogues, but also appears closely modeled on Plato’s

Symposium

; as Plato’s renowned dialogue on love is occasioned by the victory of the comic poet Agathon, Tacitus’ work is likewise set on the occasion of a similar reading, and is the only other dialogue from antiquity (of which we are aware) to use such a setting. Like…

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1679 words

Citation: Rutledge, Steven. "Dialogus de oratoribus". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 October 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=19583, accessed 22 November 2024.]

Cornelius Tacitus, Dialogus de oratoribus [The Dialogue on Orators]

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