Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

844 O'RATOR;. ORATOR.
public and private, the knowledge of which, though porting of his own side of the question by proper
neglected by most orators, seems to me to be neces- argument, it must be admitted with Antonius that
sary for the purposes of oratory." In his treatise a very moderate knowledge of law is sufficient; and
on the Orator, and particularly in the first book, indeed even a purely legal argument requires not so
Cicero has given his opinion of the duties of an much the accumulation of a vast store of legal knoworator and his requisite qualifications, in the form ledge as the power of handling the matter when it
of a dialogue, in which Lucius Licinius Crassus and has been collected. The method in which this conM. Antonius are the chief speakers. Crassus was summate master of his art managed a cause is stated
himself a model of the highest excellence in ora- by himself (de Or. ii. 72); and Cicero in another
tory: and the opinions attributed to him as to the passage (Brutus, 37) has recorded his merits as an
qualifications of an orator were those of Cicero him- orator. Servius Sulpicius, who was the greatest
self, who in the introductory part of the first book lawyer of his age, had a good practical knowledge
(c. 6) declares that "in his opinion no man can of the law, but others had this also, and it was
deserve the title of a perfect orator, unless he has something else which distinguished Sulpicius from
acquired a knowledge of all important things and all his contemporaries-" Many others as well a3
of all arts: for it is out of knowledge that oratory Sulpicius had a great knowledge of the law; he
must blossom and expand, and if it is not founded alone possessed it as an art. But the knowledge
on matter which the orator has fully mastered and of law by itself would. never have helped him to
understood, it is idle talk, and may almost be this without the possession of that art which
called puerile." According to Crassus the province teaches us to divide the whole of a thing into its
of the Orator embraces everything: he must be parts, by exact definition to develope what is imenabled to speak well on all subjects. Conse- perfectly seen, by explanation to clear up what is
quently he must have a knowledge of the Jus obscure; first of all to see ambiguities, then to disCivile (i. 44, &c.), the necessity for which Crassus entangle them, lastly to have a rule by which
illustrates by instances; and he should not only truth and falsehood are distinguished, and by which
know the Jus Civile, as being necessary when he it shall appear what consequences follow from prehas to speak in causes relating to private matters mises and what do not." (Britt. 41.) W~ith such
and to privata Judicia, but he should also have a a power Sulpicius combined a knowledge of letters
knowledge of the Jus Publicum which is conver- and a pleasing style of speaking. As a forensic
uant about a State as such, and he should be falmi- orator then lie must have been one of the first that
liar with the events of history and instances de- ever lived; but still among the Romans his rerived from the experience of the past. Antoninus putation was that of a jurist, while Antonius, who
(i. 49) limits the qualifications of the orator to the had no knowledge of the law, is put on a level as.ommand of language pleasant to the ear and of an orator (patsozeus) with L. Crassus, who of all the
arguments adapted to convince in causes in the eloquent men of Rome had the best acquaintance
forum and on ordinary occasions. He further re- with the law.
quires the orator to have competent voice and Oratory was a serious study among the Romans.
action and sufficient grace and ease. Antonius Cicero tells us by what painful labour he attained
(i. 58) contends that an orator does not require a to excellence. (Brut. 91, &c.) Roman oratory
knowledge of the Jus Civile, and he instances the reached its perfection in the century which prccase of himself, for Crassus allowed that Antonius ceded the Christian aera. Its decline dates from
could satisfactorily conduct a cause, though Anto- the establishment of the Imperial power under
nius, according to his own admission, had never Augustus and his successors; for though there were
learned the Jus Civile, and had never felt the want many good speakers, and more skilful rhetoricians
of it in such causes as he had defended (injure). under the empire, the oratory of the republic was
The profession then of the orator, who with re- rendered by circumstances unsuitable for the senate,
ference to his undertaking a client's case is also for the popular assemblies, or for cases of crimes
called patronus (de Or. i. 56, Brilt. 38) was and high Inisdemeanours.
quite distinct from that of the Jurisconsultus In the Dialogue De Oratoribus, which is attri[JURISCONSULT], and also from that of the buted to Tacitus, Messala, one of the speakers,
Advocatus, at least in the time of Cicero (ii. 74), attempts (c. 28, &c.) to assign the reasons for the
and even later (de Orat. Dial. 34). An orator, low state of oratory in the time of Vespasian, when
who possessed a competent knowledge of the Jus the Dialogue was written, compared with its conCivile, would however have an advantage in it, as dition in the age of Cicero and of Cicero's predeAntonius admits (i..5fi9); but as there were many cessors. He attributes its decline to the neglect of
essentials to an orator, which were of difficult at- the discipline under which children were formerly
tainment, he says that it would be unwise to dis- brought up, and to the practice of resorting to
tract him with other things. Some requisites of rhetoricians (rhetores) who professed to teach the
oratory, such as voice and gesture, could only be oratorical art. This gives occasion to speak more
acquired bydiscipline; whereas a competent know- at length of the early discipline of the old orators
ledge of tile law of a case (jisris utilfits) could be and of Cicero's course of study as described in the.
got at any time from the jurisconsulti (periti) or Brutuis. The old orators (c. 34) learned their art
from books. Antonius thinks that the Roman by constant attendance on some eminent orator
orators in this matter acted mere wisely than the and by actual experience of business: the orators
Greek orators, who being ignorant of law had the of Messala's time were formed in the schools of
assistance of low fellows, who worked for hire, and Rhetoric, and their powers were developed in exerwere called Pra.gmatici (i. 45): the Roman orators cises on fictitious matters. These however, it is
entrusted the maintenance of the law to the high obvious, were only secondary causes. The immecharacter of their professed Jurists. diate causes of the decline of eloquence appear to
So far as the profession of an advocate coisists be indicated by Maternus, another speaker in the
in the skilful conduct of a cause, and in the sup- Dialogue, who attributes the former flourishing