Dialogus de oratoribus

The Dialogus de oratoribus (Dialogue on Orators) is a work by the Roman historian and orator Tacitus, likely written between 98 and 102 CE. The dialogue explores the decline of Roman oratory, contrasting the vibrant public speaking of the Roman Republic with the more constrained environment of the Roman Empire.12

Tacitus, through the characters in the dialogue, discusses how the shift from a republic to an empire diminished the public importance and inspiration for true eloquence. The work reflects on the education and skills required for oratory, noting that while rhetoric remained a part of education, its practical application in public life had waned. The dialogue is considered an acute discussion on the fading of oratory in Roman society.123