Emotions of the political

The project "Emotions of the Political" deals with the question of how emotions were used as a communicative tool in political interactions in the late Roman Republic and what functions they had in this context. Against the background of social and emotional theoretical concepts, linked with ancient theoretical approaches - primarily from rhetoric - emotions are understood as part of an interaction in which the focus is directed towards the associated narratives. An access to the history of emotions is used to show the extent to which emotionality, for example through Cicero's interactions with the audience after his return from exile in 57 BC, contributes to new insights into Cicero's narrative that he forms about Clodius. But it is not only Cicero's speeches that serve as the basis for this. Rather, the aim is to systematically analyze other contemporary and imperial sources that report on the late phase of the Republic. The project makes a contribution both to the history of emotions and to the history of politics in the Roman Republic.

Dissertation project by  Nicole Diersen

 The monograph on the homepage of the publisher Mohr Siebeck.