Pro Archia 1: A Prosaic Analysis

Yes, I acknowledge that this is not typical content for an Aeterna Poesis post. With our name translating to “Eternal Poetry,” analyzing Latin Poetry goes without saying. But Latin prose? That type of analysis requires a different format and style, deviating from the beloved and comfortable form established in our previous posts. Rather than seeing a “Meter” or “Theme and Voice” section, this post will feature sections devoted to history and the structure of a Roman defense speech (the rhetorical analysis will remain, though, don’t you worry). Although I consider myself someone who attempts to view change positively, this break from form begs one crucial question: why?

Prose and poetry have, in my experience, almost always been paired. Whether it be in writing competition settings or in my English syllabi, the two seem like a match made in heaven (or hell, depending on whether or not you enjoy literary analysis as much as I do). I don’t think this pairing is merely alliteration for alliteration’s sake, however, as the two share a certain quality missing from the rest of literature: prioritization of lyricism. Yes, poetry is often more direct in its manipulation of text to deliver an emotional punchline, but prose, although subtler, still carries a significant amount of emotional weight. And it is precisely because prose, being in paragraph form, has its poetic qualities often overlooked, that I found it immensely important to include some prosaic analysis on this site. So, without further ado, let me introduce you to Cicero’s Pro Archia.

The Text Itself

*English translation by yours truly, Aeterna Poesis

Latin Text

Si quid est in me ingeni, iudices, quod sentio quam sit exiguum, aut si qua exercitatio dicendi, in qua me non infitior mediocriter esse versatum, aut si huiusce rei ratio aliqua ab optimarum artium studiis ac disciplina profecta, a qua ego nullum confiteor aetatis meae tempus abhorruisse, earum rerum omnium vel in primis hic A. Licinius fructum a me repetere prope suo iure debet. nam quoad longissime potest mens mea respicere spatium praeteriti temporis et pueritiae memoriam recordari ultimam, inde usque repetens hunc video mihi principem et ad suscipiendam et ad ingrediendam rationem horum studiorum exstitisse. quod si haec vox huius hortatu praeceptisque conformata non nullis aliquando saluti fuit, a quo id accepimus quo ceteris opitulari et alios servare possemus, huic profecto ipsi, quantum est situm in nobis, et opem et salutem ferre debemus.

English Translation

If there is anything of genius in me, members of the jury, which I sense how small it is, or if there is any training of speaking in me, in which I do not deny that I am moderately versed, or if I have any strategy for this oratory, having been derived from studies of the most outstanding arts and from discipline, studies from which I confess that no time of my life has been adverse to, then this A. Licinius, first and foremost, ought to seek in return from me the benefit of all these things as his near right. For as long as my mind is able to look back on the interval of bygone time and record the oldest memory of boyhood, tracing back ever since then, I see this man emerge as the principal cause for undertaking and entering a course of these studies. And if this voice, having been formed by his encouragement and teaching, has occasionally been salvation to some, from which we accept that it has, for with it we are able to help some and to same others, then we ought to bring help and salvation to this man, from which this voice formed from, as much as is in our power to bring.

A Brief History

In short, Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BCE - 43 BCE) should not be in a court of his peers, defending a relative nobody, Aulus Licinius Archias (~120 BCE - 61 BCE). The former is quite possibly the most well-studied Ancient Roman, with his transcriptions of speeches and depictions having survived and been preserved well since Roman times. Using these primary sources, we have been able to form a fairly comprehensive history of his life. This history will in no way be as comprehensive (we will not be touching on how the Romans died-- that is a tale for another time), but it will provide the knowledge necessary to understand why Cicero is defending this unremarkable man.

Born in Arpinium, Cicero consistently demonstrated a preference for writing and cultural pursuits. Early in his life, he wrote De Inventione Rhetorica, a textbook on writing speeches studied in Roman schools across the country. After, he began to scale the cursus honorem (social ladder), the first in his family to do so. Yet, he did not let this novus homo status stymie his success: he became quaestor (assistant to the consul) at 30, the youngest possible age, and advanced through the ranks to become the assistant to the governor of Sicily, one of Rome's wealthiest provinces. It was this connection to Sicily that allowed Cicero to make a name for himself. After his governor departed, the next (named Verres), was allegedly corrupt, stealing from the citizenry, and Cicero took up the province's case. Arguing against Quintus Hortensius Hortalus, regarded as the greatest speaker in the Roman Empire at the time, Cicero successfully defeated him, thereby positioning himself as a remarkably talented young politician. His success allowed him to become aedile at 36, praetor at 39, and consul at 43 (all the earliest possible age one could adopt these roles).

During his time as a consul, his opponent (Lucius Sergius Catilina), who had since gone bankrupt after he lost to Cicero, ostensibly sought to overthrow the consulship. And thus, the Catiline Conspiracy was born. Cicero spoke passionately against the conspirators and easily won his case, leading Catilina to flee from the Empire, and the rest of his co-conspirators to be executed without a trial. In gratitude for his service to the Roman Empire, Cicero was given the greater honor one could be given: “pater patriae” (father of the fatherland). So, who is A. Licinius, and why on earth is Cicero defending him?

Aulus Licinius Archias was born in Antioch (modern-day Syria) and, by 100 BCE, was an accomplished poet in Rome, having been included in Meagher's "Garland" (a collection of what he viewed as the greatest poems in Roman history). Capitalizing on this success, he secured a position with aristocrat Lucius Lucullus to write about his military exploits. Riding on this newfound security, he was able to secure honorary citizenship in Heraclea. Importantly, following a small civil war in Rome, the lex Iulia de civitate Latinis danda was passed, a law granting citizenship to Latin-speaking towns (and, by extension, to Archias). Unfortunately for Archias, Lucullus had his fair share of enemies who wanted to remove the poet from the scene and brought the above case to court, arguing that Archias was not a Roman citizen. Cicero, viewing the case as easy to win, decided to take up Archias's defense and use his speech to not only win the case but also defend the importance of artistic and literary studies.

A Roman Speech

A Roman speech is divided into five main parts, listed below. Importantly, when one is defending the accused party, pro + the ablative name is used, and when one is accusing said party, in + the accusative name is used.

The parts:

1. Exordium: the opening

2. Narratio: facts of the case

3. Refutatio: refuting opposing arguments

4. Confirmatio: giving your own arguments

5. Peroratio: final statements 

It goes without saying that we are here analyzing the first part of Cicero's exordium in defense of Archias.

Rhetorical Analysis

In this section of the speech, Cicero seeks to establish his motivations for defending Archias, as the jury was similarly confused about why Cicero was defending someone far less established than himself. In this passage, his motivations can be broken into two parts: 1) Archias being Cicero’s principal teacher, and 2) Him owing Archias' help insofar as his voice has helped so many.

Archias as Cicero's Primary Teacher

In this section of the speech, "quoad longissime potest mens mea respicere spatium praeteriti temporis et pueritiae memoriam recordari ultimam, inde usque repetens hunc video mihi principem et ad suscipiendam et ad ingrediendam rationem horum studiorum exstitisse," Cicero establishes that his talent did not derive from nowhere, but from established poets. Translated as, "For as long as my mind is able to look back on the interval of bygone time and record the oldest memory of boyhood, tracing back ever since then, I see this man emerge as the principal cause for undertaking and entering a course of these studies," Cicero frames Archias as the man who most influentially shaped him into the speaker he is today. He uses chiasmus, or paralled word structure in the sentence "spatium...memorium" with the alternation of accusative followed by genitive and then genitive followed by accusative. In doing so, he accentuates just how far back he is looking into his past, framing Archias as a central and integral figure in his childhood growth. Additionally, in using ad + the accusative of the gerundive with "ad suscipiendam" and "ad ingrediendam," Cicero illustrates that Archias was not merely a side character, but a central figure who precipitated not only his understanding of cultural pursuits but also his engagement with them in the first place.

Cicero as Savior

In the lines that follow, Cicero establishes himself as a humble yet influential savior of the Roman people. In the lines, "Quod si haec vox huius hortatu praeceptisque conformata non nullis aliquando saluti fuit, a quo id accepimus quo ceteris opitulari et alios servare possemus, huic profecto ipsi, quantum est situm in nobis, et opem et salutem ferre debemus," translated as "And if this voice, having been formed by his encouragement and teaching, has occasionally been salvation to some, from which we accept that it has, for with it we are able to help some and to same others, then we ought to bring help and salvation to this man, from which this voice formed from, as much as is in our power to bring," Cicero understates his well-known status as pater patriae. Using litotes with "non nullis," (or "some") Cicero deliberately chooses not to say that he saved "all," employing fake humility and showing deference to the jury of his peers. Additionally, Cicero invokes hyperbaton via the separation of "vox" and "comformata," emphasizing that he voice has been shaped by Archias's encouragement and teaching (included within the bookending of the two aforementioned words).

Conclusion

With our more thorough knowledge of Cicero’s Pro Archia 1, I hope it is now clearer why this prosaic analysis is so relevant to our usual poetic analysis. Cicero is here defending not only one poet and his right to remain in Rome, but all poets. Indeed, he is inextricably tying all arts and literature to the very defense of Rome's security. Archias becomes here a symbol of the moral and intellectual value of poetry, and is elevated through Cicero's passionate defense. A common theme from many of our poetic analyses is the key role of poets within society. Cicero clearly vehemently agrees.

We hope you enjoyed this prosaic analysis of Cicero’s Pro Archia 1. Please leave any comments, questions, or concerns below, and be sure to recommend future prose or poems for us to dive into!