Introduction

The Introduction briefly sets out the ubiquity and importance of bodily imagery in late republican political discourse and argues for its conventional nature. A case is made for situating the uses of Cicero, our best surviving source, alongside those of his forebears and peers. An emphasis on persuasion is stressed and theoretical approaches to imagery, both ancient and modern, are concisely discussed. Likewise, an overview of subsequent chapters is provided, with justification for the work’s arrangement and a quick review of related scholarship. Arguments are addressed primarily to classicists interested in the literature and politics of republican Rome, but the continued centrality of bodily imagery (especially in areas such as contemporary biopolitics and the like) may find a wider audience.