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A Dialogue Concerning Oratory, or the Causes of Corrupt Eloquence

by Cornelius Tacitus (56–117)

  • Free to read
  • 5 hours to read
  • 52 chapters
  • Reading level: 10th to 12th grade

"A Dialogue Concerning Oratory, or the Causes of Corrupt Eloquence" by Tacitus is a dialogue published around 102 AD. Set in the 70s AD, four historical figures debate a provocative question: why has Roman oratory declined from its former glory? They examine education, rhetoric, and culture before reaching a startling conclusion about the relationship between eloquence and political freedom. The work suggests that great oratory flourished in the chaos of the Republic but became obsolete under the Empire's orderly peace.

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  • Dialogues, Latin
  • Oratory, Ancient

Read the opening

Section I

[a] Justus Fabius was consul A.U.C. 864, A.D. 111. But as he did not begin the year, his name does not appear in the FASTI CONSULARES. There are two letters to him from his friend Pliny; the first, lib. i. epist. 11; the other, lib. vii. ep. 2. it is remarkable, that in the last, the author talks of sending some of his writings for his friend's perusal; quæram quid potissimum ex nugis meis tibi exhibeam; but not a word is said about the decline of eloquence.

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Contents

Show all 52 chapters
  1. Front Matter
  2. Section I
  3. Section II
  4. Section III
  5. Section V
  6. Section VI
  7. Section VII
  8. Section VIII
  9. Section IX
  10. Section X: [a] Horace has the same observation
  11. Section XI
  12. Section XII
  13. Section XIII: [a] The rural delight of Virgil is described by himself
  14. Section XIV
  15. Section XV
  16. Section XVI
  17. Section XVII
  18. Section XVIII
  19. Section XIX
  20. Section XX
  21. Section XXI
  22. Section XXII
  23. Section XXIII
  24. Section XXIV
  25. Section XXV
  26. Section XXVI: [a] For an account of Caius Gracchus, see s. xviii. note [d]
  27. Section XXVIII
  28. Section XXIX
  29. Section XXX
  30. Section XXXI
  31. Section XXXII
  32. Section XXXIII
  33. Section XXXIV
  34. Section XXXV
  35. Section 1
  36. Section 2
  37. Section 3
  38. Section 4
  39. Section 5
  40. Section 6
  41. Section 7
  42. Section 8
  43. Section 10
  44. Section 11
  45. Section 12
  46. Section 13
  47. Section XXXVI
  48. Section XXXVII
  49. Section XXXVIII
  50. Section XXXIX
  51. Section XLII
  52. Conclusion

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About this edition

This free edition of A Dialogue Concerning Oratory, or the Causes of Corrupt Eloquence by Cornelius Tacitus comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #15017, released 2005-02-11. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Essays, Letters & Speeches, Philosophy & Ethics.

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