Cicerone allegorico: la metamorfosi del personaggio storico in paradigma dell'Eloquenza Romana

Chapter Summary

This chapter presents a brief history, from the early Empire to Late Antiquity and Christian culture, of the allegorical metamorphosis of Cicero, analysing how his historical character became an iconic personification of Roman eloquence. Passages from Quintilian, Pliny the Elder, Claudian, Saint Jerome, Virgilius Grammaticus and Martianus Capella show Cicero's historical figure disappearing behind allegory, transforming itself into a simple personification of Latin oratory, of Latin culture opposed to Greek culture, of Classical culture confronting Christianity, and into mere proverbial name.

Keywords: allegorical metamorphosis; Christianity; Cicero; Greek culture; Latin culture; Roman eloquence