Cicerone Prospettiva 2000. Atti del I Symposium Ciceronianum Arpinas. Arpino 5 Maggio 2000 ; Interpretare Cicerone. Percorsi della critica contemporanea. Atti del II Symposium Ciceronianum Arpinas. Arpino 18 Maggio 2001 by E. Narducci

Review by: Valentina Aren

Arena, V

English

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Cicerone Prospettiva 2000. Atti del I Symposium Ciceronianum Arpinas. Arpino 5 Maggio 2000;  Interpretare Cicerone. Percorsi della critica contemporanea. Atti del II SymposiumCiceronianum Arpinas. Arpino 18 Maggio 2001  by E. NarducciReview by: Valentina ArenaThe Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 93 (2003), pp. 365-366Published by: Society for the Promotion of Roman StudiesStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3184707 .Accessed: 14/11/2012 06:45Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp .JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. .Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extendaccess to The Journal of Roman Studies.http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded by the authorized user from 192.168.52.65 on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 06:45:59 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and ConditionsII.  THE  REPUBLIC  365 E. NARDUCCI  (ED.),  CICERONE  PROSPETTIVA  2000.  ATTI  DEL I SYMPOSIUM  CICERONIANUM ARPINAS.  ARPINO  5  MAGGIO  2000.  Firenze:  Felice  Le  Monnier,  2001.  Pp.  iX +  125.  ISBN 88-oo-81501-4.  C12.91. E.  NARDUCCI  (ED.),  INTERPRETARE  CICERONE.  PERCORSI  DELLA  CRITICA  CON- TEMPORANEA.  ATTI  DEL  HI SYMPOSIUM  CICERONIANUM  ARPINAS.  ARPINO  I8  MAG- GIO 2001.  Firenze: Felice Le Monnier,  2002.  Pp.  xii + 83. ISBN  88-00-81502-2.  Ei 1.50. Since  I980  young  Latinists  have  honed  their  skills  each  spring  in  Arpinum,  translating  and commenting  on the texts of the illustrious  citizen  of this Roman municipium. A one-day  colloquium on Ciceronian  themes  was held in 2000  to mark the twentieth  anniversary of this competition,  and it proved  so  successful  that  it  has  now  become  a tradition  in  its  own  right.  The  person  primarily This content downloaded by the authorized user from 192.168.52.65 on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 06:45:59 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions366  REVIEWS responsible for this worthy enterprise is Emanuele Narducci, the scientific curator of the two colloquia  that have been held to date, and the editor of these two slim volumes. The first collection of papers delivered at I Symposium  is opened by N.'s own contribution. Rarely does a first essay, which functions here as an introduction, inspire us to return  to its pages. This is one of those rare  occasions. Sallying forth from the turris  eburnea,  wherein classicists often love to seclude themselves in the vain hope of preserving ancient traditions, N., in a constructive polemic, engages with the current (and to date only attempted) reforms of the Italian government, which aim to reduce the study of ancient languages  (and classical  culture in general) in high school. Opposing political parties (all of which are held equally responsible for the decline of classical studies), the culture of globalization, and the mass media, N. indicates the new means (which he identifies in cultural centres, foundations, and even private associations) by which it might be possible to  achieve the end of  a culture that critically rejects any conformity. Presenting the Symposium  Ciceronianum  Arpinas as one of these occasions, he admirably  identifies new trends of Ciceronian  studies (such as, for example, the role of oratory,  rhetoric,  philosophy, and their dialectic relationship  in the orator's  works) that might prove fertile for future research.  Zanker  explores the question of Cicero's  portraits;  a fascinating  topic in itself, that is also partly used as an object-lesson of rigorous 'philological' analysis applied to marbles rather  than codices.  Marcone presents a good overview of the idea of democracy  in Cicero, a subject that has proved to be extremely productive  in the last two decades, and which has born further fruits even after the publication of this volume (H.  Mouritsen, Plebs and Politics (200I)).  To  a similarly fertile field (to which she herself has contributed with Amicizia e potere nelle lettere di Cicerone  e nelle elegie ovidiane  dell'esilio  (2000)) belongs Citroni Marchetti's  contribution that she defines as a typological research  (79) of Cicero's emotions  -  and words that express these emotions -  towards  friends and enemies during the time of his exile. What she delivers is, in reality, a contribution of great interest to those engaged with both literary  and socio-political studies. The last contribution  of the first  volume is Nicolai's refined analysis that investigates, by a careful reading of de legibus,  Cicero's contribution to the ancient theories of historiography. The same format is maintained in the second volume, and presents the same high quality of scholarship,  albeit  without another  stimulating  introduction  by N. La Penna  offers  a very interesting analysis of Cicero's vivid representations  of individuals in his letters. This very neat study, which offers attractive representations  of some important figures of the late Republic, shows a fertile ground in which future research  can adventure  for both literary  representation  (to which a parallel of the given portraits  in the letters with those of the same individuals in Cicero's other works might add something) and the history  of concepts and ethical  values (Wertbegriffe),  areas  in which Cicero's letters certainly have much to offer. Cavarzere  investigates the role of actio, the eloquentia  corporis (Cic., Or. 55), as an essential element in Roman oratorical  practice.  As part of a revitalization  of this kind of study that tends to attribute a central role to the gesture in oratorical  delivery, and whose most recent product is the new English edition of de Jorio's work, Cavarzere  succeeds in exploring an important  and, until now, marginalized  aspect, the Ciceronian  evaluation  of the actio. Grilli, in a beautiful and concise contribution, usefully highlights the intentional connection between rhetoric and philosophy in the entire corpus of Cicero's rhetorical  and political works. Aligning himself with the recent trend in interpretation  of Cicero's rhetorical  works (cf., for example, for de oratore  J. M. May and J. Wisse (eds), Cicero  On the  Ideal Orator  (200I)),  Grilli indicates  the political nature  of all Ciceronian  treatises, showing that the differences  between them are consequent upon the evolving necessities of the decline of the Roman res  publica  (59). Cambiano,  in the most solidly philosophical of the contributions, analyses the reasons for Cicero preferring the philosophical school of the Sceptic Academy, and the latter's role within the Roman tradition. The  most intriguing and fascinating  result that he presents is the intertwined relation  between the maxime  probabile  and the Roman tradition, so as to offer a stimulating contribution to the debate on the role of  Greek philosophy in Rome. These volumes undoubtedly succeed in their aim of creating a moment of reflection on the importance  of Cicero's  works  and opening up perspectives  for the future. The leading scholars  offer thought-provoking contributions, throwing up a plethora of thoughts that offer us an idea of the richness  and complexity of an author  and his period. Of course, as is the nature  of this kind of work, contributions  differ slightly in quality, level of detailed  analysis,  footnotes, and bibliography.  Each of them should be read  on its own and, perhaps, it would have been interesting  to see a discussion more centred on a specific theme. What this work certainly  shows is that classical  culture will not easily die. University College London  VALENTINA  ARENA This content downloaded by the authorized user from 192.168.52.65 on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 06:45:59 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Review of E. Narducci 'Cicerone Prospettiva 2000. Atti del I Symposium Ciceronianum Arpinas. Arpino 5 Maggio 2000'

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