AN ANCIENT EXAMPLE OF LITERARY BLACKMAIL

Abstract

Towards the end of his life and especially after his exile in 58-57 BC, Cicero’s publication program accelerated. While he aimed to promote his own glory, he had to do so in an environment where writing about oneself attracted censure. This article explores some of the ways in which Cicero tries to overcome this limitation. These include writing about himself indirectly, defending artists in court, soliciting historians to include his role as consul in their works and even attempts at public literary blackmail, specifically towards his prolific contemporary, Marcus Terentius Varro.