ASPECTS DE LA CRÉATION ARTISTIQUE DE CICÉRON - L’ŒUVRE ÉPISTOLAIRE - LE RAPPORT ÉMETTEUR-RÉCEPTEUR
ASPECTS OF CICERO’S ARTISTIC CREATION -THE EPISTOLARY WORK -THE TRANSMITTER – RECEIVER RELATIONSHIP

Summary/Abstract: Through a text-applied analysis we have tried to show that Marcus Tullius Cicero considers the epistolary writing as having a certain artistic part; a peremptory proof for this is the statement of the existence of a multitude of epistolary genres, out of which two are his favorite: unum familiare et iocosum, alterum severum et grave . These two are used by the orator in writing his letters, while always looking, by paying special attention, to strike a perfect balance between them (the genres), the receiver to whom he addresses and the context of the receiver’s reality. When a good friend of the Arpinate writer dies, he writes to his friend’s son in a grave but warm manner, thus, when the late father is regretted by means of words of praise, the qualities of the son are in fact emphasized and the feelings of the writer for the both, but especially the mourning heir, are underlined. Another epistolary segment where the preoccupation with the type of relationship with the receiver is noticed, harmonized with the speech of the entire letter, is that addressed to the consul Lentulus. The receiver is a person to whom Cicero feels or is in debt; the receiver deserves the orator’s appreciation and thus we see here a ceremonious introduction, opened with a genuine captatio benevolentiae. The receiver imposes respect and, by all the addressed words, Cicero shows it to him.When talking to his young friend Caelius, the orator relates firstly to his untempered character, to his opening towards a live, thrilling dialogue, to the type of relationship they have, to what both he and Cicero accepts and expects from their exchange of ideas. The way of addressing and the language are adapted to the receiver. Writing to Caelius, Marcus Tullius ‘writes’ something from Caelius’ nature and something from his own. Cicero somehow reveals himself through Caelius, it’s a kind of ciceronian ‘maieutics’. It is a kind of writing that digs deep into the fiber of the being of the writer, a work that thus competes only with poetry. Aspects of character, thoughts, feelings become visible here, things that otherwise, that is without ‘merging’ with the alterity, would not be known. This style in which the adjusting to both the person/ receiver and the event is succeeded makes the epistolary work of Cicero very appreciated. The constant adjusting brings constant change, and the latter gives a feeling of live and present. From antiquity up to present, we constantly meet the idea that the artistic power of the ciceronian writing, with its various faces, is at least as important in emphasizing the value of Cicero’s correspondence as it is its thematic corpus.

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