Suasoria Explained

Suasoria is an exercise in rhetoric: a form of declamation in which the student makes a speech which is the soliloquy of an historical figure debating how to proceed at a critical junction in his life. As an academic exercise, the speech is delivered as if in court against an adversary and was based on the Roman rhetorical doctrine and practice.^[1] The ancient Roman orator Quintilian said that suasoria may call upon a student to address an individual or groups such as the Senate, the citizens of Rome, Greeks or barbarians.^[2] The role-playing exercise developed the student's imagination as well as their logical and rhetorical skills.^[2]

Origin

The formal introduction of suasoria as a school form is unknown.^[3] One of the earliest forms of this exercise, however, involved Cicero's practice of philosophical theses, which were addressed to the self.^[3] The exercise became prevalent in ancient Rome, where it was, with the controversia, the final stage of a course in rhetoric at an academy. One famous instance was recalled by Juvenal in the first of his Satires:

Here Juvenal recalls his speech advising the dictator Sulla to retire. Another Roman poet who recalled enjoying his suasoria was Ovid.

Surviving examples

A book of suasoriae survive from antiquity, recorded in Suasoria by Seneca the Elder.^[4] He writes responses and analysis of responses on seven suasoriae:

1. Alexander debates whether to sail the ocean,^[5]
2. The three hundred Spartans sent against Xerxes deliberate whether they too should retreat following the flight of the contingents of three hundred sent from all over Greece,^[6]
3. Agamemnon deliberates whether to sacrifice Iphigenia for Calcas says otherwise sailing is impermissible,^[7]
4. Alexander the Great warned of danger by an augur deliberates whether to enter Babylon,^[8]
5. Xerxes has threatened to return unless the trophies of the Persian War are removed: the Athenians deliberate whether to do so,^[9]
6. Cicero deliberates whether to beg Antony's pardon,^[10] and
7. Antony promises to spare Cicero's life if he burns his writings: Cicero deliberates whether to do so.^[11]

External links

• Seneca, Suasoriae (translated by W.A. Edward) at attalus.org

Notes and References

1. Book: Evans, Ernest . Tertullian's Treatise on the Incarnation: The Text Edited with an Introduction, Translation, and Commentary . Wipf and Stock Publishers . 2016 . 9781498297677 . Eugene, OR . x.
2. Book: Mendelson, M. . Many Sides: A Protagorean Approach to the Theory, Practice and Pedagogy of Argument . 2013-06-29 . Springer Science & Business Media . 9789401598903 . en . 258.
3. Book: A Companion to Roman Rhetoric . Dominik . William . Hall . Jon . Wiley Blackwell . 2010 . 9781405120913. Malden, MA . 302.
4. Book: Gowing, Alain M.. Empire and Memory. 2005-08-11. Cambridge University Press. 978-0-521-83622-7. 44–45. 10.1017/cbo9780511610592.
5. Book: Seneca the Elder. Suasoriae. Harvard University Press. 1974. 464. 485. 10.4159/DLCL.seneca_elder-suasoriae.1974.
6. Book: Seneca the Elder. Suasoriae. Harvard University Press. 1974. 464. 507. 10.4159/DLCL.seneca_elder-suasoriae.1974.
7. Book: Seneca the Elder. Suasoriae. Harvard University Press. 1974. 464. 535. 10.4159/DLCL.seneca_elder-suasoriae.1974.
8. Book: Seneca the Elder. Suasoriae. Harvard University Press. 1974. 464. 545. 10.4159/DLCL.seneca_elder-suasoriae.1974.
9. Book: Seneca the Elder. Suasoriae. Harvard University Press. 1974. 464. 551. 10.4159/DLCL.seneca_elder-suasoriae.1974.
10. Book: Seneca the Elder. Suasoriae. Harvard University Press. 1974. 464. 561. 10.4159/DLCL.seneca_elder-suasoriae.1974.
11. Book: Seneca the Elder. Suasoriae. Harvard University Press. 1974. 464. 595. 10.4159/DLCL.seneca_elder-suasoriae.1974.