Week 6
Thursday 16 February 2017
11:10–12:30 Class was held today, in our circular formation *which I like much better and kind of wish all my classes were like that*, in the regular class room.
We started the class like any other Thursday, with the quiz. After the quiz was administered, we then begun our class discussion. Dr. S emailed us different links that this classes will be centered around today. We stayed on one link in particular, the one that had a picture of a statue of Alexander the Great’s head. The picture was kind of peculiar after diving into different aspects of the statue. Alexander had sort of a melting gaze. At first, hearing the term melting gaze, I was completely confused as to what that could possibly mean. I consider a melting gaze to be a kind of starry look. It could either be an “in awe” look, or more of a thoughful, thinking, wondering look/gaze. In this situation, I would assess that Alexander is portraying the thoughtful, thinking, wondering gazeful look. That then brings me to the wrinkles on his forehead. Those wrinkles refer to his thinking and thoughtfulness. Next is Alexander’s mouth. This mouth is found slightly open as if he’s going to speak. Speak something wise, to express his strength and possibly what he was thinking.
We then looked at President Trumps twitter avatar and noted is pinched lips and squinty eyes compared to former President Obama’s blissful and happy smile that he possess on his Twitter avatar.
Arate — excellence , in the case of military valor, military courage. People love you for it, if you come back successful. If not, you leave people without a leader, and a kingdom without a king. Arate vs ethos.
Question of the day: If I had to do the ideal portrait of myself, what would that look like? Expression, Posture, Gesture, Clothing/accessories, Setting, A prior history? The ideal portrait of myself would include 3 bodies of me. One in my military uniform, one in a ball gown, and one in a business suite. I believe each pose would greatly represent each “side” or personality that I have. Since I am in ROTC and going to become a commissioned officer, my face would be completely straight, holding my military barring. I would be standing in the position of attention most likely in my ACUs rather than ASUs. I would rather be in my combat uniform rather than dress blues simply to show that I am ready for whatever, whenever. The second pose would be of me in a ball gown. I would be in a ball gown because I do a bit of modeling on the side. I was just apart of New York Fashion week. I would not have my glasses on, and I would be “smizing” as Tyra Banks would say. The more feminine aspect of this picture shows that I can still be war ready, but have some emotions like a woman. The last pose would be of me in a business suite. The business suite represents my future aspirations. I want to become an corporate lawyer. That pose would be with a briefcase and a small smirk standing tall, showing that I truly mean business.
Friday 17 February 2017
8:30–10:45pm
Today I had drill so I was unable to read the modules until late tonight. I started reading on this weeks module “A Political Thriller (c.63 BCE).
The role of rhetorical leadership in plotting and putting down a conspiracy.
Dissatisfaction within a leader is something that everybody experiences. However, it is how we go about that dissatisfaction is what’s different in each situation. This weeks moduel is broken down into 4 steps: an introduction to the Roman republic and the consporacy of Catiline. Why do we remember Cicero as a persuasive leader? How does Cicero use rhetoric to demonstrate his leadership? An analysis of Cicero’s First Catilinarian Oration. How does Cicero show leadership in this oration? And modern connections: is rhetoric still a path to leadership.
I then watched the 24 minute video of Cicero’s First Oration 3 times. It was honestly a bit confusing to follow simply because it was in old English and I could not truly understand what was going on. I turned on the closed captions so I could read along with the voice narration, but it was still difficult because some of the words were wrong.
Tuesday 21 February 2017
11:10–12:30 Class was held in the same room today.
Novus homo- a new man
Andreia — androgynous
If you are a human being born with male sex organs but do not step up to the plate. You are not a man
Fragile manhood -
1.forensic oratory — in the court room setting primarily: guilt vs innocence
2.epideictic oratory — tried to show if somebody is a good person or a bad person — more in speech of praise, example is an eulogy. Is somebody a good person or a bad person?
3.deliberate orator — what should we do and what should we not do?
Dialectic — the hopes to investigate a question. The truth is the goal. Not persuasion * Socrates tries to have a dialectic with his audience, when attempting to speak about truth. *
When looking at my own leadership. How will you influence them? Play with their emotions how to change people’s minds -> what will be focused on Thursday
Go back & read the English translation and pick 3–4 passages that are compelling -> where he is most persuasive
Wednesday
8:00–11:00
Since I don’t have class until 1 today. I decided that I was going to get a sandwich and a coffee from Howard Deli and begin reading Cicero’s Oration that was sent by Dr. S.
We were told to read the passages and choose 3–4 of them that we felt were most compelling and persuasive.
The 4 passages that I chose were 4, 7, 10,and 13.
Unlike the other 3 passages, I liked and felt like that entire 4th passage was compelling and was by far my favorite. The way the Cicero begins with the word “listen” then follows by saying “ while I speak …” Those 4 words alone pulled me into the text. It grasped my attention and focused and i felt forced to read/ listen. Throughout this passage he answers the few rectorial questions that he poses towards the beginning of the passage. The most important questions that I feel are presented throughout all of the passages, are asked right in this passage,”O ye immortal gods, where on earth are we? in what city are we living? what constitution is ours?” Those 3 questions apply to each and everybody.
:The 4 passage, reads, “Listen while I speak of the night before. You shall now see that I watch far more actively for the safety than you do for the destruction of the republic. I say that you came the night before (I will say nothing obscurely) into the Scythe-dealers’ street, to the house of Marcus Lecca; that many of your accomplices in the same insanity and wickedness came here too. Do you dare to deny it? Why are silent? I will prove it if you do deny it; for I see here in the senate some men who were there with you. [9]
O ye immortal gods, where on earth are we? in what city are we living? what constitution is ours? There are here, — here in our body, O conscript fathers, in this the most holy and dignified assembly of the whole world, men who meditate my death, and the death of all of us, and the destruction of this city, and of the whole world. I, the consul see them; I ask them their opinion about the republic, and I do not yet attack, even by words, those who ought to be put to death by the sword. You were, then, O Catiline, at Lecca’s that night; you divided Italy into sections; you settled where every one was to go; you fixed whom you were to leave at Rome, whom you were to take with you; you portioned out the divisions of the city for conflagration; you undertook that you yourself would at once leave the city, and said that there was then only this to delay you, that I was still alive. Two Roman knights were found to deliver you from this anxiety, and to promise that very night, before daybreak, to slay me in my bed. [10] All this I knew almost before your meeting had broken up. I strengthened and fortified my house with a stronger guard; I refused admittance, when they came, to those whom you sent in the morning to salute me, and of whom I had foretold to many eminent men that they would come to me at that time.”
Passage 13 is my second favorite passage of his oration. Cicero is extremely direct throughout this passage. Very assertive.In his previous passages, he asks a lot of questions and then answers/explains what was meant and asked, however, in this passage, he tells the people what they want to hear and what he wants to tell them. He promised them. Mentions saftey. This passage is just overall comforting. Passage 13 reads, “ [31] We have now for a long time, O conscript fathers, lived among these dangers and machinations of conspiracy; but somehow or other, the ripeness of all wickedness, and of this long-standing madness and audacity, has come to a head at the time of my consulship. But if this man alone is removed from this piratical crew, we may appear, perhaps, for a short time relieved from fear and anxiety, but the danger will settle down and lie hid in the veins and bowels of the republic. As it often happens that men afflicted with a severe disease, when they are tortured with heat and fever, if they drink cold water, seem at first to be relieved, but afterwards stiffer more and more severely; so this disease which is in the republic, if relieved by the punishment of this man, will only get worse and worse, as the rest will be still alive. Wherefore, O conscript fathers, let the worthless be gone, — let them separate themselves from the good, — let them collect in one place, — let them, as I have often said before, be separated from us by a wall; let them cease to plot against the consul in his own house, — to surround the tribunal of the city praetor, — to besiege the senate-house with swords, — to prepare brands and torches to burn the city; let it, in short, be written on the brow of every citizen, what are his sentiments about the republic. I promise you this, O conscript fathers, that there shall be so much diligence in us the consuls, much authority in you, so much virtue in the Roman knights, so much unanimity in all good men, that you shall see everything made plain and manifest by the departure of Catiline, — everything checked and punished. With these omens, O Catiline, be gone to your impious and nefarious war, to the great safety of the republic, to your own misfortune and injury, and to the destruction of those who have joined themselves to you in every wickedness and atrocity. Then do you, O Jupiter, who were consecrated by Romulus with the same auspices as this city, whom we rightly call the stay of this city and empire, repel this man and his companions from your altars and from the other temples, — from the houses and walls of the city, — from the lives and fortunes of all the citizens; and overwhelm all the enemies of good men, the foes of the republic, the robbers of Italy, men bound together by a treaty and infamous alliance of crimes, dead and alive, with eternal punishments”
