Cicero, Eloquentia , and Justifying Rhetoric in Republican Rome ( Inv . 1.1–5)

Abstract: I argue that in De inventione 1.1–5, Cicero reconciles technical rhetoric with Roman culture by crafting a justificatory narrative for rhetoric’s place at Rome. Cicero employs a calculated lexical strategy and redefines eloquentia in a way that shifts the meaning of the word to embrace ἡ τέχνη ῥητορική. Cicero further justifies rhetoric by emphasizing its utility for the Roman aristocracy and for the Republic. In the final analysis, Cicero argues for the value of technical rhetoric by demonstrating its compatibility with the values that underpinned Republican political culture.