The Asiatic style or Asianism (Latin: genus orationis Asiaticum, Cicero, Brutus 325) refers to an Ancient Greekrhetorical tendency (though not an organized school) that arose in the third century BC, which, although of minimal relevance at the time, briefly became an important point of reference in later debates about Roman oratory.[1][2]
Asia Minor in the Greco-Roman period, with which the "Asiatic style" of oratory was associated.
Hegesias of Magnesia was Asianism's first main representative and was considered its founder. Hegesias "developed and exaggerated stylistic effects harking back to the sophists and the Gorgianic style."[3]
Characteristics
Unlike the more austere, formal and traditional Attic style, Asiatic oratory was more bombastic, emotional, and coloured with wordplay.[2]
The Asiatic style was distinguished by the use of a prose rhythm, especially the end of clauses (clausulae).[4] This worked in much the same way as in Latin poetry, although poetic metres themselves were avoided. An effective rhythm could bring an audience to applaud the rhythm alone,[5] however Cicero criticised Asiatic orators for their overly repetitive endings.[4]
Roman perspective before Cicero
The first known use of the term is in Rome, by Cicero in the mid-first century BC. It came into general and pejorative use for a florid style contrasting with the formal, traditional rhetoric of Atticism, which it was said to have corrupted. The term reflects an association with writers in the Greek cities of Asia Minor. "Asianism had a significant impact on Roman rhetoric, since many of the Greek teachers of rhetoric who came to Rome beginning with the 2d cent. B.C.E. were Asiatic Greeks."[6] "Mildly Asianic tendencies" have been found in Gaius Gracchus' oratory, and "more marked" ones in Publius Sulpicius Rufus.[7] However we have almost no remnants of oratory that can properly be called Asiatic.[2]
Cicero (Orator ad Brutum 325) identifies two distinct modes of the Asiatic style: a more studied and symmetrical style (generally taken to mean "full of Gorgianic figures"[8]) employed by the historian Timaeus and the orators Menecles and Hierocles of Alabanda, and the rapid flow and ornate diction of Aeschines of Miletus and Aeschylus of Cnidus. Hegesias' "jerky, short clauses" may be placed in the first class, and Antiochus I of Commagene's Mount Nemrut inscription in the second.[9] The conflation of the two styles under a single name has been taken to reflect the essentially polemical significance of the term: "The key similarity is that they are both extreme and therefore bad; otherwise they could not be more different."[8] According to Cicero, Quintus Hortensius combined these traditions and made them at home in Latin oratory.
Cicero himself, rejecting the extreme plainness and purism of the Atticists, was attacked by critics such as Licinius Macer Calvus for being on the side of the Asiani; in response he declared his position as the "Roman Demosthenes" (noting that the preeminent Attic orator would not have qualified as Attic by the strict standards of the oratores Attici of first-century Rome).[10] In this sense, although Cicero identified with an Attic orator, he never went so far as to completely criticise Asiatic oratory,[11] and professed a mixed or middle style (genus medium; Quintilian 12.10.18: genus Rhodium...velut medium...atque ex utroque mixtum) between the low or plain Attic style and the high Asiatic style, called the Rhodian style by association with Molo of Rhodes and Apollonius the Effeminate (Rhodii, Cicero, Brutus xiii 51).
Roman perspective after Cicero
In the Neronian period, the surviving portion of Petronius' Satyricon begins midway through a rant in which the unreliable narrator, Encolpius, denounces the corruption of Roman literary taste and the Asiatic style in particular: "that flatulent, inflated magniloquence later imported from Asia to Athens has infected every aspiring writer like a pestilential breeze" (trans. Branham and Kinney). Quintilian accepted Cicero's attitude towards Asianism and Atticism,[12] and adapted the earlier debate's polemical language, in which objectionable style is called effeminate, in his own De causis corruptae eloquentiae.[13]
In his Institutio Oratoria (XII.10), Quintilian diagnoses the roots of the two styles in terms of ethnic dispositions: "The Attici, refined and discriminating, tolerated nothing empty or gushing; but the Asiatic race somehow more swollen and boastful was inflated with a more vainglory of speaking" (trans. Amy Richlin).[14]Pliny the Younger continued to profess the mixed style. The debate remained topical for Tacitus (as seen in Pliny's correspondence with him on oratorical styles in Letter 1.20) and contributes to the atmosphere of his Dialogus de oratoribus.
Ultimately, there seems to have been a general preponderance or victory of the Asiatic over the Attic style in the imperial period.[2][15]
Notes
^Hildebrecht Hommel, "Asianismus," in Lexikon der Antike, Zurich: Artemis Verlag, 1965
^ abcdWinterbottom, M. 2012 ‘Asianism and Atticism’ in Hornblower, A., Spwaforth, A. and Eidinow, E. (eds.) Oxford Classical Dictionary (4th ed.) 184
^Laurent Pernot, Rhetoric in Antiquity, trans. W. E. Higgins, Washington, D.C.: CUA Press, 2005, p. 82
^David E. Aune, "Asianism," in The Westminster Dictionary of New Testament and Early Christian Literature, Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003
^Gian Biagio Conte, Latin Literature: A History, trans. Sodolow, JHU Press, 1994, p. 120
^ abMartine Cuypers, "Historiography, Rhetoric, and Science: Rethinking a Few Assumptions on Hellenistic Prose," in James J. Clauss and Martine Cuypers (eds.), A Companion to Hellenistic Literature, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010, pp. 328f.
^H. J. Rose, A Handbook of Greek Literature, 4th rev. ed., London: Methuen, 1950, p. 363, following the analysis of Eduard Norden's Die antike Kunstprosa
^Gesine Manuwald, Cicero: Philippics 3-9, vol. 2, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2007, pp. 129f.
^Wilamowitz-Möllendorff, U. v. 1900 ‘Asianismus und Atticismus’ Hermes 1-52, 3
^C. O. Brink, "Quintilian's De Causis Corruptae Eloquentiae and Tacitus' Dialogus de Oratoribus," Classical Quarterly 39:2 (1989), pp. 472-503, at p. 478
^Amy Richlin, "Gender and Rhetoric: Producing Manhood in the Schools," in William J. Dominik (ed.), Roman Eloquence, Routledge, 1997, p. 78
^Powell, J. G. F. 2012 ‘Latin Prose-Rhythm’, in Hornblower, A., Spwaforth, A. and Eidinow, E. (eds.) Oxford Classical Dictionary (4th ed.) 1224
Further reading
Wilamowitz-Möllendorff, U. v. 1900 ‘Asianismus und Atticismus’ Hermes 1-52
Gualtiero Calboli, "Asiani (Oratori)," in Francesco Della Corte (ed.), Dizionario degli scrittori greci e latini, vol. 1, Milan: Marzorati, 1988, pp. 215–232
Jakob Wisse, "Greeks, Romans, and the Rise of Atticism," in J. G. J. Abbenes et al. (eds.), Greek Literary Theory after Aristotle: A Collection of Papers in Honour of D. M. Schenkeveld, Amsterdam: Vrije Universiteit Press, 1995, pp. 65–82
March 22, 2023
asiatic, style, asianism, latin, genus, orationis, asiaticum, cicero, brutus, refers, ancient, greek, rhetorical, tendency, though, organized, school, that, arose, third, century, which, although, minimal, relevance, time, briefly, became, important, point, re. The Asiatic style or Asianism Latin genus orationis Asiaticum Cicero Brutus 325 refers to an Ancient Greek rhetorical tendency though not an organized school that arose in the third century BC which although of minimal relevance at the time briefly became an important point of reference in later debates about Roman oratory 1 2 Asia Minor in the Greco Roman period with which the Asiatic style of oratory was associated Contents 1 Origin 2 Characteristics 3 Roman perspective before Cicero 4 Roman perspective after Cicero 5 Notes 6 Further readingOrigin EditHegesias of Magnesia was Asianism s first main representative and was considered its founder Hegesias developed and exaggerated stylistic effects harking back to the sophists and the Gorgianic style 3 Characteristics EditUnlike the more austere formal and traditional Attic style Asiatic oratory was more bombastic emotional and coloured with wordplay 2 The Asiatic style was distinguished by the use of a prose rhythm especially the end of clauses clausulae 4 This worked in much the same way as in Latin poetry although poetic metres themselves were avoided An effective rhythm could bring an audience to applaud the rhythm alone 5 however Cicero criticised Asiatic orators for their overly repetitive endings 4 Roman perspective before Cicero EditThe first known use of the term is in Rome by Cicero in the mid first century BC It came into general and pejorative use for a florid style contrasting with the formal traditional rhetoric of Atticism which it was said to have corrupted The term reflects an association with writers in the Greek cities of Asia Minor Asianism had a significant impact on Roman rhetoric since many of the Greek teachers of rhetoric who came to Rome beginning with the 2d cent B C E were Asiatic Greeks 6 Mildly Asianic tendencies have been found in Gaius Gracchus oratory and more marked ones in Publius Sulpicius Rufus 7 However we have almost no remnants of oratory that can properly be called Asiatic 2 Cicero Orator ad Brutum 325 identifies two distinct modes of the Asiatic style a more studied and symmetrical style generally taken to mean full of Gorgianic figures 8 employed by the historian Timaeus and the orators Menecles and Hierocles of Alabanda and the rapid flow and ornate diction of Aeschines of Miletus and Aeschylus of Cnidus Hegesias jerky short clauses may be placed in the first class and Antiochus I of Commagene s Mount Nemrut inscription in the second 9 The conflation of the two styles under a single name has been taken to reflect the essentially polemical significance of the term The key similarity is that they are both extreme and therefore bad otherwise they could not be more different 8 According to Cicero Quintus Hortensius combined these traditions and made them at home in Latin oratory Cicero himself rejecting the extreme plainness and purism of the Atticists was attacked by critics such as Licinius Macer Calvus for being on the side of the Asiani in response he declared his position as the Roman Demosthenes noting that the preeminent Attic orator would not have qualified as Attic by the strict standards of the oratores Attici of first century Rome 10 In this sense although Cicero identified with an Attic orator he never went so far as to completely criticise Asiatic oratory 11 and professed a mixed or middle style genus medium Quintilian 12 10 18 genus Rhodium velut medium atque ex utroque mixtum between the low or plain Attic style and the high Asiatic style called the Rhodian style by association with Molo of Rhodes and Apollonius the Effeminate Rhodii Cicero Brutus xiii 51 Roman perspective after Cicero EditIn the Neronian period the surviving portion of Petronius Satyricon begins midway through a rant in which the unreliable narrator Encolpius denounces the corruption of Roman literary taste and the Asiatic style in particular that flatulent inflated magniloquence later imported from Asia to Athens has infected every aspiring writer like a pestilential breeze trans Branham and Kinney Quintilian accepted Cicero s attitude towards Asianism and Atticism 12 and adapted the earlier debate s polemical language in which objectionable style is called effeminate in his own De causis corruptae eloquentiae 13 In his Institutio Oratoria XII 10 Quintilian diagnoses the roots of the two styles in terms of ethnic dispositions The Attici refined and discriminating tolerated nothing empty or gushing but the Asiatic race somehow more swollen and boastful was inflated with a more vainglory of speaking trans Amy Richlin 14 Pliny the Younger continued to profess the mixed style The debate remained topical for Tacitus as seen in Pliny s correspondence with him on oratorical styles in Letter 1 20 and contributes to the atmosphere of his Dialogus de oratoribus Ultimately there seems to have been a general preponderance or victory of the Asiatic over the Attic style in the imperial period 2 15 Notes Edit Hildebrecht Hommel Asianismus in Lexikon der Antike Zurich Artemis Verlag 1965 a b c d Winterbottom M 2012 Asianism and Atticism in Hornblower A Spwaforth A and Eidinow E eds Oxford Classical Dictionary 4th ed 184 Laurent Pernot Rhetoric in Antiquity trans W E Higgins Washington D C CUA Press 2005 p 82 a b Cic Orat LXIX 230 1 Cic Or 214 David E Aune Asianism in The Westminster Dictionary of New Testament and Early Christian Literature Louisville Ky Westminster John Knox Press 2003 Gian Biagio Conte Latin Literature A History trans Sodolow JHU Press 1994 p 120 a b Martine Cuypers Historiography Rhetoric and Science Rethinking a Few Assumptions on Hellenistic Prose in James J Clauss and Martine Cuypers eds A Companion to Hellenistic Literature Chichester Wiley Blackwell 2010 pp 328f H J Rose A Handbook of Greek Literature 4th rev ed London Methuen 1950 p 363 following the analysis of Eduard Norden s Die antike Kunstprosa Gesine Manuwald Cicero Philippics 3 9 vol 2 Berlin Walter de Gruyter 2007 pp 129f Wilamowitz Mollendorff U v 1900 Asianismus und Atticismus Hermes 1 52 3 G M A Grube The Greek and Roman Critics 1968 p 286 C O Brink Quintilian s De Causis Corruptae Eloquentiae and Tacitus Dialogus de Oratoribus Classical Quarterly 39 2 1989 pp 472 503 at p 478 Amy Richlin Gender and Rhetoric Producing Manhood in the Schools in William J Dominik ed Roman Eloquence Routledge 1997 p 78 Powell J G F 2012 Latin Prose Rhythm in Hornblower A Spwaforth A and Eidinow E eds Oxford Classical Dictionary 4th ed 1224Further reading EditWilamowitz Mollendorff U v 1900 Asianismus und Atticismus Hermes 1 52 Gualtiero Calboli Asiani Oratori in Francesco Della Corte ed Dizionario degli scrittori greci e latini vol 1 Milan Marzorati 1988 pp 215 232 Jakob Wisse Greeks Romans and the Rise of Atticism in J G J Abbenes et al eds Greek Literary Theory after Aristotle A Collection of Papers in Honour of D M Schenkeveld Amsterdam Vrije Universiteit Press 1995 pp 65 82 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Asiatic style amp oldid 996955145, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
