Quintus Tullius Cicero, Commentariolum Petitionis [Little handbook on electioneering]

François Prost (Université de Paris IV Sorbonne)

Ed. by Sophia Papaioannou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.2: Ancient Roman Writing and Culture (Republic and Empire), -750-476.
Vol. editors: William John Dominik (University of Otago), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Victoria Fendel (University of Oxford), Thomas Habinek (University of Southern California), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Sophia Papaioannou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Jula Wildberger (American University of Paris)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. -65 - -64

Places

Ancient Rome (Republic & Empire) (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Non-Fiction
- Essay / Lecture (literary)
- Letter(s)

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Title and form, genre and content

The text is referred to as ‘Commentariolum Petitionis’ according to the closing words of its author: “for I want this handbook of electioneering to be perfect in every way” (§58). Yet this text is not formally a treatise, but a letter, hence it has no original title. It is transmitted as written by Quintus Tullius Cicero to his elder brother, Marcus the orator, who was then (in 64) canvassing for the election to the consulship of 63. However, on account of its length (20 pages in the Loeb and Oxford editions), its specific aim and focus, as well as its tone and substance, it may belong equally to two complementary sub-genres: first, that of the didactic letter, in which letter writing is just the literary mode of exposition of a programmatic or

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2917 words

Citation: Prost, François. "Commentariolum Petitionis". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 December 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=32842, accessed 31 October 2024.]

Quintus Tullius Cicero, Commentariolum Petitionis [Little handbook on electioneering]

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