Collapse metaphor in Roman political discourse and its legacy

Abstract Ancient Roman political discourse shows various competing metaphors in relation to the so-called “crisis of the Roman Republic” of the I century BC. The metaphor of a collapsing building proves itself particularly fit for conveying the concept of crisis, as it appears to be a conceptual blending, binding together various ideas and images, especially the connected imagery of ruins. This paper aims to show how, during a specific historical moment, such a timeworn metaphor was activated and manipulated by Cicero to convey a personal political message. In addition to proving the historical impact of this rhetorical re-invention of a conceptual metaphor, it supports the idea that crisis metaphors often bear culture-based associations and political implications, and can even influence policy making.