Epistolary Senatorial Etiquette in the Ciceronian Corpus: Social Norms and Transgressions in the First Century BCE

Abstract

Roman senators preferred to meet in person to talk and discuss matters that concerned them; but when this was impossible, they used letters as a substitute. Given its importance and frequency of their use, senators were aware of a number of unwritten etiquette rules governing letter writing. These rules served to avoid unwanted conflicts or, in case of infraction, to be aware that they could lead to conflict. This article proposes a study of the etiquette of epistolary exchange between senators and members of the elite regarding political issues during Ciceronian times, drawing a novel parallel with informal political conversations. The article analyses how and whom should be contacted, the rules governing forwarding and reading of letters to others and the acceptable and inacceptable excuses for not having written. This study allows us to identify the unwritten rules and norms, which makes it possible to gauge the degree of tension that these could provoke. At the same time, it examines how senators tried to adhere to them in order to avoid political clashes with their peers.