On the Orator (Ob Oratorskom Iskusstve)

Cicero is considered one of the most brilliant orators of Antiquity, an era in which the art of speech was revered as one of the most important. In Rome, a word in the mouth of an orator was compared to a sword in the hands of a warrior. It is therefore not surprising that Cicero, a great orator who embodied the spiritual ideals of Greek philosophers in his speeches and written works, was held in high esteem and respect. This edition includes two of Cicero's treatises on oratory, in which the author not only shares his experience and principles of his craft but also discusses the ideal image of the orator as an exponent of the human ideal of his time: a citizen, a man of word and deed, who combined profound philosophical knowledge with practical skill. The texts are accompanied by detailed commentary by M. L. Gasparov.