TheVoicesoftheConsulisthefirstbook-lengthstudyoftherhetoricof“OntheAgrarianLaw“IandII,thefirsttwospeechesthatthegreatRomanoratorCicerogaveonhisascensiontotheleadershipoftheRomanstate-thefirsttothesenate,thesecondtothepeople.Throughacloseandnovellinguisticanalysis,BrianA.KrostenkodrawsoutCicero’sidealisticvisionsandshowshowCicero’sapparentlydiffuseattacksonvariousclausesofanagrarianbillareinformedbyaconsistentandidealisticvisionofthefunctioningoftheRomanstateinwhichthepeoplearetotaketheirsovereigntyseriouslyandthesenateistoregarditshighpositionresponsibly.Cicero’sspeechesturnedacritiqueofasinglelawintoapoliticomanifesto-aworthyobjectiveforanewconsul.Byaclosecomparisonofcorrespondingpassagesfromthespeeches,thebookclarifiesCicero’smasterfuladaptationsofhisaudiences’knowledgeofpoliticalconcepts,civicspaces,legalprocedures,andotherculturalpractices.ByrevealingCicero’srhetoricaltechniqueandtheideologyimplicitinthesespeeches,TheVoicesoftheConsulprovidesamorecompletepictureofhisunderstandingofRomanpoliticsandhisownrolewithinitatthebeginningofhisconsularcareer.
