Pliny Political Propaganda

Political propaganda in history has played a significant role to shape the public and the view of leaders. Pliny the young, as a famous political propagandist in the history, He had a variety of speeches and writings that has successfully propagated. Especially his praise of Emperor Trajan, which has been titled a powerful propagation tool. The purpose of this essay is to assess Pliny's effectiveness as a political propagandist by analysing his rhetorical strategies, the emotional impact of his speeches, and the extent to which he shaped public opinion in favour of Trajan's leadership.

Rhetorical Strategies and Emotional Appeals

Pliny’s political propaganda has employed strong persuasive techniques, whether promoting Emperor Trajan or the

“We follow in your steps, we seek to win your approval, and we are reaching the point when we shall all conform with the ways of a single man [Trajan]. You need only continue as you are emperor, and the principles of your conduct will have the same effect as the censorship.” (Pliny, 2023, p. 6). This sentence shows the loyalty and flattery from Pliny by pushing the ideals of Trajan, Pliny tries to create a strong connection between the audience and the emperor." We follow in your footsteps", Pliny's phrase expresses the recognition of Trajan as a role model and leader, implying that people will agree with the emperor's ideals and actions. By referring to following one person, Pliny also emphasizes the powerful unifying power of Trajan, which unites people to achieve a common goal. “Trajan takes the oath of obedience to the law with the gods as witness… when you finished your consulship, you swore that you had done nothing contrary to the law. This statement of achievement, that you had done nothing contrary to the law, was even finer than your realer promise of obedience to the law.” (Pliny, 2023, p. 6). From the above, Pliny emphasizes that Trajan is a representative of justice, which works to protect the law and maintain justice. In other words, Pliny describes Trajan as a leader with high qualities and morals. Furthermore, Pliny points out that Trajan has God as his witness and that Trajan is committed to obeying the law. With Pliny's remark, it adds religious overtones to Trajan's promise and shows Trajan's sanctity and legitimacy. This passage of Pliny's words enhances and enriches the persuasive power of Trajan in many ways and