Immagini del processo nelle declamazioni pseudo-quintilianee

[Quintilian]’s declamations are imaginary trials, but technical details concerning those trials mostly remain in the background. In order to shed light on such aspects, this paper follows a number of different research paths (including a special focus on torture in Decl. mai. 7) and finally draws some innovative conclusions as to the representation of the parties and the trial dynamics that emerge from Latin rhetorical texts in general, and the Major Declamations in particular. This is an especially helpful approach in order to gain a better understanding of the legal practice under the Principate, and, above all, of the training of advocates in imperial Rome.