Villains Called Sicarii: A Commonplace for Rhetorical Vituperation in the Texts of Flavius Josephus

Examining the presentation of sicarii in Flavius Josephus’s Judean War from a rhetorical perspective, this article argues that each reference to sicarii alludes to the clauses of a Roman law concerning sicarii, which Josephus has used as a commonplace for rhetorical vituperation against particular g...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Vandenberghe, Marijn J. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2016
In: Journal for the study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman period
Year: 2016, Volume: 47, Issue: 4/5, Pages: 475-507
Further subjects:B Sicarii Flavius Josephus Jewish revolt (66-70 ce) ancient rhetoric vituperation
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Summary:Examining the presentation of sicarii in Flavius Josephus’s Judean War from a rhetorical perspective, this article argues that each reference to sicarii alludes to the clauses of a Roman law concerning sicarii, which Josephus has used as a commonplace for rhetorical vituperation against particular groups. Three literary-rhetorical tendencies of War are highlighted to show how this vituperation, as well as the connection between War’s sicarii and the so called Fourth Philosophy, is part of a general rhetorical strategy to shift the blame for the outbreak of the violent conflict to one particular rebel group.
ISSN:1570-0631
Contains:In: Journal for the study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman period
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15700631-12340462