Abstract: This article sets out to explore the development of the declamatio as a rhetorical genre which flourished in (late) antiquity and in the early modern period by focusing on a case study that compares Lucian's Tyrannicide with Thomas More's Latin response speech. An analysis of both declamations with regard to their argumentative structure, their orator figures and the use of dramatic techniques illustrates how successful they are in persuading the audience. A close reading of key passages demonstrates that More's reply to the Lucianic template is a compelling example of humanistic aemulatio , in which the author displays his legal expertise and his knowledge of the classical canon. Ultimately, More departs from Lucian's Sophistic showpiece and takes a moral turn in his declamation by making his readers reflect on the nature of tyranny and the options of political disobedience that are available to citizens who live under a despotic regime.
Katharina-Maria Schön (Mon,) studied this question.