Manipulating the Past: Antiquarian Comments in Cicero’s De Haruspicum responso
Manipulating the Past: Antiquarian Comments in Cicero’s De Haruspicum responso

Summary/Abstract: This article identifies antiquarian excerpts in De Haruspicum responso and discusses their function with respect to Cicero’s argumentation. The arrangement of the material by subject aptly illustrates how thematically connected passages can serve multiple purposes within individual arguments. The analysis of each passage reveals Cicero’s manipulation of antiquarian information with the intention of tarnishing Clodius’ image or extoling himself and the senate. Through the implicit comparison with the actions and customs of the ancestors, the orator further achieves a broader goal, i.e. to sketch his opponent as a public enemy and himself as a statesman in defense of the respublica. All these excerpts gradually serve the main purpose of successfully elevating his personal case into a matter of state significance.

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