Cicero and Brutus. Pragmatics of an aristocratic relationship

Abstract

The article analyses the correspondence between Cicero and Marcus Junius Brutus through the theoretical and terminological framework of linguistic politeness, with the aim of shedding light on the interpersonal and power dynamics that emerge in their exchange of letters between April and July 43 BC. This approach allows us to observe how the two interlocutors negotiate their aristocratic dignitas within a highly ritualised communicative context. Analysis of the principal face-threatening acts, such as directive acts, expressions of disagreement and criticism, shows how linguistic expressions of politeness serve both correspondents in constructing their public image and maintaining their mutual relationship in a balance between deference and authority, solidarity and conflict.