Qui Honoris Causa Nominatur Form and Function of Third-Party Politeness in Cicero

This chapter addresses the phenomenon of third-party politeness in Cicero’s speeches and letters, both from a theoretical viewpoint and by discussing three case studies. It is meant as a first step in the direction of a more systematic approach to third-party politeness (and, to some extent, impoliteness) within the larger field of Politeness studies. The aspect of third-party politeness in social interaction appears to be overlooked in most studies of politeness phenomena, which is why we first introduce the relevance of the phenomenon and delineate the various forms of third-party politeness, before we embark on a sketch of Cicero’s use of third-party politeness in some of his letters and speeches.