Cicerone in Seneca: alcune riflessioni su un tema sempre attuale (con un’Appendice su: Cicerone gradarius in Seneca ep. 40, 11) - Cicero in Seneca: Select Reflections on an Ever Current Topic (with an Appendix on: Cicero the gradarius in Seneca Ep.40,11)
Abstract
This paper examines several aspects of the complex relationship between Seneca philosophus and Cicero. In the first place, I review a selection of Seneca’s Letters (in particular, 21; 40; 100; 107; 114; 118), drawing a focus around Seneca’s judgments of Cicero’s style and corpus. I then analyse the portrait of Cicero sketched in Brev. Vit. 5, where Seneca develops a concept of libertas that differs significantly from that set out in the letters and that in turn underscores Seneca’s inability to comprehend the republican political reality. An appendix is dedicated to the examination of the epithet gradarius used to describe Cicero in Ep. 40, 11, in context of equine metaphors applied to his literary style.
Nel saggio vengono affrontati alcuni aspetti del complesso rapporto tra Seneca filosofo e Cicerone; sono presi in esame alcuni passi delle Epistulae senecane (in particolare 21; 40; 100; 107; 114; 118) soprattutto in relazione ai giudizi senecani sull’opera e lo stile ciceroniano. Viene poi approfondito l’ampio ritratto critico dell’Arpinate offerto in brev. vit. 5 dove emerge una concezione molto diversa della libertas e una sostanziale incapacità di Seneca di comprendere la realtà politica repubblicana. Un’Appendice è dedicata ad esaminare l’epiteto gradarius riferito a Cicerone in ep. 40, 11 in rapporto all’uso di metafore equine applicate allo stile letterario.
L’essai traite de certains aspects de la relation complexe entre Sénèque le philosophe et Cicéron; quelques passages des Epistulae sénéquiennes sont examinés (en particulier 21; 40; 100; 107; 114; 118) surtout par rapport aux jugements de Sénèque sur le travail et le style cicéronien. À cela s’ajoute le large portrait critique de l’Arpinate donné dans le brev. vit. 5 où se dégagent une conception très différente de la libertas et une incapacité substantielle de Sénèque à comprendre la réalité politique de la République. Une annexe est consacrée à l’examen de l’épithète gradarius se référant à Cicéron dans ep. 40, 11 par rapport à l’utilisation des métaphores équines appliquées au style littéraire.
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