Consolatio
The consolatio or consolatory oration is a type of
.Consolatio as a literary genre
The consolatio literary tradition ("consolation" in English) is a broad literary genre encompassing various forms of consolatory speeches, essays, poems, and personal letters. consolatio works are united by their treatment of bereavement, by unique rhetorical structure and topoi, and by their use of universal themes to offer solace.[3] All consolatio works draw from a relatively narrow range of arguments aimed at offering solace, to allay the distress caused by the death of a loved one, a matter of ill fortuna. The conventional opening of a consolatio was All must die.[2] The most typical arguments characterizing the consolatio genre were:[2] "All must die; even the oldest must die; the youngest too must die, and this is as one with the death of the old."[1][2][3]
History
Some scholars claim the genre arose from the Sophist belief in the healing power of discourse.[4] Others believe it arose as a response to passages of grief found in the works of the Greek poet Homer.
This literary tradition flourished in
Although several ancient writings contain elements of the consolatio tradition, it was the Academic Crantor of Soli (c. 325- c. 275BC), a member of Plato's Academy, who first constructed his works in a distinct consolatio Tradition. Although only fragments of his essays have survived, his influence is noted in the works of later writers, particularly Cicero's Tusculan Disputations and Plutarch's consolation to Apollonius. Crantor advocated metriopatheia, a tactic for dealing with strong emotions.[5] Cicero's consolatio is widely accepted as the distinct work that transmitted the earlier consolatio literary tradition to the Romans of the late Republic.[4]
In the Early Imperial Age, most consolatio works were constructed within the framework of
Other notable examples of the consolatio tradition from
Reception and influence
In the post-classical period, an additional Christian consolation was developed.[2] In the
The consolatio genre, particularly its distinct tone and topoi, widely influenced other literary genres. Elements of the consolatio tradition can be found in a plethora of later works, and the tradition continued through the Middle Ages and into the early modern era.[6]
A return to the ancient view commenced with
See also
- Consolation of Philosophy
- Eulogy
- Seneca's Consolations
References
- ^ a b Ernst Robert Curtius, European Literature and the Latin Middle Ages, trans. W.R. Trask (Princeton: 1953) section 5.1 Topics of Consolatory Oratory pp. 80–2
- ^ a b c d e f Petrie, Graham (1970) "A Rhetorical Topic in 'Tristram Shandy' ", Modern Language Review, Vol. 65, No. 2, April 1970, p. 262
- ^ a b c Scourfield, JHD. "Consolation." Oxford Classical Dictionary. N.d. Print. Path: Consolatio; Kassel quote: "Death brings release from the miseries of life; time heals all griefs; future ills should be prepared for; the deceased was only 'lent'--be grateful for having possessed him. Normally grief is regarded as natural and legitimate, though not to be indulged in."
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-814722-0.
- ^ Baltussen, Han. "Personal grief and public mourning in Plutarch's consolation to his wife", American Journal of Philology 130 (2009): 67-67. July-Aug. 2009. :" Introduction: Beginnings of consolation."
- ^ Kierdorf, Wilhelm (Köln); "Consolatio as a literary genre." Brill's New Pauly. Antiquity volumes edited by: Hubert Cancik and Helmuth Schneider . Brill, 2009. Brill Online. University of California UC Berkeley CDL. 20 July 2009 <http://www.paulyonline.brill.nl/subscriber/entry?entry=bnp_e619600>