Ethos
01Appeal through the speaker's character, credibility, and moral authority.
De Oratore II.182–184
A digital humanities instrument
The Cicero Score
Measuring classical rhetoric in modern speech.
An AI-driven rhetorical analysis tool that operationalizes Cicero's oratorical principles to evaluate modern political and public speeches — integrating Classics, data science, and digital humanities.
The Framework
Eight Ciceronian Dimensions
Logos
02Appeal through reasoned argument, evidence, and logical structure.
De Inventione I.41–49
Pathos
03Appeal through the emotions of the audience.
De Oratore II.185–211
Anaphora
04Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
Rhetorica ad Herennium IV.13
Periodic Structure
05Suspended sentence whose meaning is completed only at its close.
Orator 204–212
Antithesis
06Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
Rhetorica ad Herennium IV.21
Amplificatio
07Heightening of subject matter through accumulation and intensification.
De Partitione Oratoria 27
Civic Virtue
08Appeals to the res publica, duty, and shared political life.
De Officiis I.20–22
How the pieces fit together
A Single, Coherent Instrument
The Cicero Score
Core intellectual engine — an AI rubric grounded in canonical rhetoric.
The Dashboard
Visualization of scores, devices, and comparison to a Ciceronian baseline.
Applied Readings
Interpretive essays on Obama, Churchill, and modern public intellectuals.
Public Demonstration
An open tool for scholars, students, and curious citizens.