Book contents
- Early Latin
- Early Latin
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Tables
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Chapter 1 Introduction: What Is ‘Early Latin’?
- Part I The Epigraphic Material
- Part II Drama
- Part III Other Genres and Fragmentary Authors
- Part IV Reception
- Chapter 20 ‘Early Latin’ and the Fragments of Atellane Comedy
- Chapter 21 Lucretius and ‘Early Latin’
- Chapter 22 Cicero and Early Dramatic Latin
- Chapter 23 Early Latin Texts in Livy
- Chapter 24 Pliny Rewrites Cato
- Chapter 25 Gellius’ Appreciation and Understanding of ‘Early Latin’
- Chapter 26 Views on ‘Early Latin’ in Grammatical Texts
- Chapter 27 Nonius Marcellus and the Shape of ‘Early Latin’
- Chapter 28 ‘Early Latin’ to Neo-Latin
- Chapter 29 Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Index Verborum
- Index of Non-Latin Words
- Index Locorum Potiorum
- Subject Index
Chapter 22 - Cicero and Early Dramatic Latin
from Part IV - Reception
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 July 2023
- Early Latin
- Early Latin
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Tables
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Chapter 1 Introduction: What Is ‘Early Latin’?
- Part I The Epigraphic Material
- Part II Drama
- Part III Other Genres and Fragmentary Authors
- Part IV Reception
- Chapter 20 ‘Early Latin’ and the Fragments of Atellane Comedy
- Chapter 21 Lucretius and ‘Early Latin’
- Chapter 22 Cicero and Early Dramatic Latin
- Chapter 23 Early Latin Texts in Livy
- Chapter 24 Pliny Rewrites Cato
- Chapter 25 Gellius’ Appreciation and Understanding of ‘Early Latin’
- Chapter 26 Views on ‘Early Latin’ in Grammatical Texts
- Chapter 27 Nonius Marcellus and the Shape of ‘Early Latin’
- Chapter 28 ‘Early Latin’ to Neo-Latin
- Chapter 29 Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Index Verborum
- Index of Non-Latin Words
- Index Locorum Potiorum
- Subject Index
Summary
Cicero is well known to provide information about early Roman drama through his frequent references to performances, biographical details and characteristics of playwrights, motifs in dramas, language and style. Most of these comments are integrated into a specific context and therefore reflect Cicero’s argumentative aim. Yet, at the same time, they reveal insights into the nature of Roman Republican drama and its assessment in Cicero’s time. This chapter explores Cicero’s comments on the language, style and rhythm of early Republican dramas as well as his taking up of linguistic features of these plays. By looking at a selection of representative passages, this contribution examines what Cicero says about the language and idioms of early Roman playwrights and analyses whether Cicero takes up any of the linguistic features highlighted or instead opts for alternative versions. Such a study enables a better understanding of the Romans’ own view of the language of their early dramas as well as of any differences and developments between the various playwrights and dramatic genres.
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- Early LatinConstructs, Diversity, Reception, pp. 453 - 465Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023