Consolatio, memoria e identidad en las cartas de Cicerón a exiliados pompeyanos del año 46 a.C. (Cic. fam. 4 y 6)

Abstract

Taking into account the fact that ancient consolatio´s declared aim is not political but psychotherapeutic, the current paper intends to show how Cicero uses this genre as a protected literary forum to renegotiate his identity, and build a common discursive memory of the civil war. Firstly, the consolatory features contained in these political letters (fam. 4.7-10; fam. 4.13; fam. 4.14; fam. 6.1-4; fam. 6.6; fam. 6.10a y 6.10b; fam. 6.12; fam. 6.13 y 6.14; fam. 6.20 y 6.21; fam. 6.22) enable him to build his addressees as a homogeneous group, as if all of them were expecting to benefit from Caesar´s clementia. If we consider Marcellus´ voluntary exile in Mytilene, this was far from being the case. Nevertheless, this polarization reinforces his position as a mediator, and justifies his proximity to Caesar. In addition, Cicero plays down the differences that existed between him and his addressees, building a common identity by focusing on what they shared, i.e., the fact that all of them have been vanquished by Caesar. Secondly, he employs these letters in order to build an apologetic revision of his criticized conduct during the civil war.