Language and Nature in the Classical Roman World

Presents the first collection of essays dedicated to Roman linguistic naturalism, a major but under-studied area of Roman linguistic thought.

The first collection of essays dedicated to Roman linguistic naturalism, a major but under-studied area of Roman linguistic and philosophical thought. Brings together an international group of experts to consider naturalism in a wide variety of ancient authors including Cicero, Varro, Nigidius, Posidonius, and Dionysius of Halicarnassus.A familiar theme in Greek philosophy, largely due to the influence of Plato's Cratylus, linguistic naturalism (the notion that linguistic facts, structures or behaviour are in some significant sense determined by nature) constitutes a major but under-studied area of Roman linguistic thought. Indeed, it holds significance not only for the history of linguistics but also for philosophy, stylistics, rhetoric and more. The chapters in this volume deal with a range of naturalist theories in a variety of authors including Cicero, Varro, Nigidius Figulus, Posidonius, and Dionysius of Halicarnassus. The result is a complex and multi-faceted picture of how language and nature were believed to interrelate in the classical Roman world.