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CICERO, M.T., Topica. Edidit, commentario critico instruxit G. Di Maria. L'epos, Palermo, 1994. XLVIII,133p. Sewn. Spine little bit damaged. Upper corner front cover slightly dog's eared. Series: Bibliotheca philologica, I. (Rare). 'In this edition and critical commentary D.M. sets himself the task of shedding further light on Cicero's choice of words with the aim of producing a text that will allow readers to fully appreciate the orator's use of language, since it is his contention that although tere are many editions of 'Topica' the final text always appears weak and unconvining, not so much because cholars have failed to consider alle the existing codices or transmitted the readins incorrectly, but because they have often failed to put forward a plausible argumentation in support of their chosen readings or emendations. Thus the author instead of making any original textual contribution of his own chooses within his work to highlight several long-standing points of conjecture and vigorously and cogently argues the case for selected MSS readings. (...) In his research the author has examined the fifty-nine pre-humanistic codices of 'Topica', which are chronologically (spanning from the 9th to 15th Century) listed on pp.XXX-XLIV, but the most interesting part of the stydy, as befits D.M.'s aims, is the textual commentary, where the author musters his reasoning techniques to argue in Latin his preferred readings and emendations- a process that largely (...) rests on comparing a particular word or expression with its employment in other Ciceronian and oratorical texts (including Quintilian, Boethius, and minor Latin rhetoricians such as Martianus Capella, Cassiodorus, Isidore, pseudo-Apuleius, Victorinus) as well as more specialized sources such as the 'Digesta' for legal issus and the Vulgate for religious usages (p.78). (...) Far from being the definitve work on the subject this book represents a valuable addition to the existing scholarship, and anyone interested in Cicero's oratorical, legalistic and philosophical language and style will find some useful points here.' (MARY SIANI-DAVIES in The Classical Review (New Series), 1996, pp.245-46). € 75.00 (Antiquarian)