A Political Thriller (c. 63 BCE)
Hours 1.5: In class on Thursday we took a quiz on the last unit, and then had an in class discusssion finishing up the last module on Spirits in the Material world and how the image of a leader is important. We talked about Donald Trump and how his twitter picture conveyed a sort of person who you probably wouldn’t just openly walk up and talk to. We compared and contrasted it with President Obama’s twitter picture which was much more inviting. I think that a leaders image is vital to the people because we want our leader to embody the characteristics of what we believe a leader should be.
Hour 2–5: My birthday was on February 19th so I didn’t begin the module until Monday. In this module we are learning about the Catilinarian Conspiracy, which was a plan to overthrow the Roman government. This module really focuses on the art of rhetoric and persuasion.
In the first step of the module we compare and contrast the two people involved in the conflict. Cicero and Catiline are the two people engaged in conflict throughout this story.
Build your understanding of Cicero and Catiline as leaders by making a chart for each one that compares (1) their birth and background, (2) their roles and offices in the Roman Republic, (3) their age, (4) what they were known for, and (5) any other points of comparison you notice.
Cicero: Cicero came from a wealthy family who lived in Arprinum just outside Rome. He had a career in law and was a renowned orator, statesman, philosopher, and poet.
Caitline: Came from a distinguished patrician family. His great-grandfather had fought against Hannibal in the Second Punic War. Catiline was a bankrupt Aristocrat.
Judging by the differences between the two, I would assume that Catiline created the conspiracy out of jealousy of Cicero. Catiline was favored by most to win the election but when Cicero uncovered his plan, people began to worry that if they elected Cataline the would be affected negatively by his leadership.
For the second part of the module we are looking into Cicero’s 5 Classical Canons of rhetoric. The canons are :
- Invention
- Arrangement
- Style
- Memory
- Delivery
Cicero believed that these 5 canons would make for more effective speech that would be more tailored to the people.
Why might Cicero need to use these five individual parts of rhetoric to speak to the citizens of the Roman republic?
- I think Cicero needs to use the parts to deliver an effective a concise speech. Being in ROTC we are required to give briefs that follow a direct standard. Within the certain constraints of the format we are allowed to give as much information about the topic but there is always a set way of doing it. I think Cicero needs the canons to maintain order so that the speech is logical.
Why would establishing a stopping point be useful to a leader? Consider the audience a political leader might address in the Roman republic.
- Developing a stopping point is useful because it allows there to be a kind of pro vs. con contrast. You get to see both sides of a potential outcome. It also allows for potential solutions to be made based on specific outcomes.
What leaders can you think of that employ their individual style effectively?
- My detachment Commander conveys his individual style effectively.
List four or five characteristics of this style? Rank them according to which seem most effective to you.
- Personable
- Organized
- Animated
- Expressions
Hour 6.5: In class on Tuesday we began by reiterating that class starts promptly at 9:40. Dr. Sandridge guessed that 7 people would walk in late, there were in fact 8.
We disscussed how rhetoric in not an exact science rather an art form. We discussed the main topic of this module which would be different forms of rhetoric that are found throughout the Catilinarian conspiracy.
In the story Cicero is called a Novus Homo- or a new man. Cicero was the first in his family to achieve Consulship. He was a great orator and he would help out a lot of political people, which would in turn help him get elected.
In class we discussed the 3 areas or forms of rhetoric.
- Forensic Rhetoric- courts (guilty, not guilty)
- Epideitict Rhetoric- eulogy, praise someone’s character (invective speech is the opposite)
- Deliberative Rhetoric-trying to win someone over (group setting)
After identifying the 3 forms of rhetoric we looked at these forms appearing in past modules. We began with the first module.
- Nestor’s speech in the module “ You Can Go Your Own Way” was an example of deliberative and epideitict speech when he tries to deescalate tension between Agamemnon and Achilles. He praises both of their character and leadership skills in a group setting as he tries to persuade them to stop arguing.
- Cicero denouncing Antony and Caesar was an example of epideitict rhetoric or invective speech.
- Eulogy of Julius Caesar is an example of Epideitict rhetoric.
- Socrates trying to prove his innocence is an example of forensic rhetoric.
- The sayings of a Spartan Women is an example of epideitict rhetoric in a deliberative setting.
Hours 7–8:
Identify (1) what Cicero is trying to persuade his audience to do and (2) three things the he does to make his speech convincing. For example, what arguments does he make, what emotions does he try to elicit, and what kind of character does he present himself to be?
- Cicero is trying to get his audience to see the conspiracy that Catiline is plotting. He is trying to persuade the Senate to agree to arrest Catiline and put him to death. Cicero points out Catiline and the conspirators within the senate. He points out that he has been allowing of the conspiracy but he now feels it is time to act.
When you listen to the speech a second time, focus on Cicero’s character as a leader. What leadership traits would he like you to believe he has? What does he do to convince you of this? For example, does he make a declaration of his values? What does he say about his own devotion to the Roman republic? What does he say about his own background? How would you characterize the emotional state he is in?
- Cicero has very good speech tactics. He appeals to the emmotions of the people. His speech follows his canons. I feel like it was well organized. Cicero cares about the safety of Rome as well as his safety. He says the Senate feels that Catiline should leave but they won’t say it aloud. He asks why Catiline would wait for them to say it when he sees it on their faces. Cicero says that he is scared for the state of Rome as well as for himself.
Do you yourself find Cicero’s speech persuasive? Explain your answer.
- I do find Cicero’s speech persuasive because he gives Catiline multiple reasons of why he should leave Rome. He talks of all his offenses to Rome and how even the Senate agrees although they won’t say it aloud. Throughout the entire speech he kind of defames Catiline and just continues to almost beg him to leave.
Hours 9–10: During the final part of the module we learned about Decorum which is a rhetorical device that requires information to be coherent and work together to appeal to an audience. I absolutely love listening to President Obama’s past commencement speeches, the early ones really portray how his speaking skills have been consistent over the years.
Ethos (ethics), Pathos (emotions), Logos (Logic)
- What similarities do you notice between Cicero’s speech and Obama’s speech in general? What tactics do they use to convince listeners they are effective leaders?
- I think that they both present facts, and they use the fact that they know about specific topics and can deliver a speech eloquently because they know about information. That is a key for delivering a good speech.
2) What emotional (pathos) appeals do both Cicero and Obama use? Choose one phrase each uses from their speeches to explain. Highlight specific words that you believe are particularly emotionally-charged.
- Cicero uses the fact that Rome was in danger and he appealed to the fear of the Senate that Rome could be destroyed. President Obama used the fact that the students should be proud to sit where they sit in the seats of past graduates (6:34).
3) What ethical (ethos) appeals do both Cicero and Obama use? Choose one phrase each uses from their speeches to explain.
-President Obama talks about the idea of abortion and Women’s choice which appeals to ethics. (13:57–15:00).
4) What logical (logos) appeals do both Cicero and Obama use? Choose one phrase each uses from their speeches to explain.
-Cicero uses facts of Catiline conveyning with conspirators to appeal to the Senate. President Obama uses facts about our country from (9:00- 13:00) to show that there is a divide, but he also asks why this is true. He offers not solutions but suggestions to solve the problem.
5) From your analysis of the two speeches, what does Cicero’s use of rhetoric (i.e. the art of persuasion) teach us about using speech to enact leadership (or at least, the impression that one is a leader through his or her speeches)?
- I think Cicero teaches us how to form coherent rhetoric, and rhetoric that appeals to the senses. I think he uses speech to enact leadership by using big points and the 5 canons to help the listeners understand what he is trying to get across.
