Product Description

Lawyer, philosopher, statesman and defender of Rome’s Republic, Cicero was a master of eloquence, and his pure literary and oratorical style and strict sense of morality have been a powerful influence on European literature and thought for over two thousand years in matters of politics, philosophy, and faith. This selection demonstrates the diversity of his writings, and includes letters to friends and statesmen on Roman life and politics; the vitriolic Second Philippic Against Antony; and his two most famous philosophical treatises, On Duties and On Old Age - a celebration of his own declining years. Written at a time of brutal political and social change, Cicero’s lucid ethical writings formed the foundation of the Western liberal tradition in political and moral thought that continues to this day.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #68310 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-26
• Original language: Latin
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

About the Author
Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 bc), Roman orator and statesman, was born at Arpinium of a wealthy local family. Having been educated in Rome, by 70 bc he had established himself as a leading barrister and was beginning a successful political career. Cicero received honors usually reserved only for the Roman aristocracy and was one of the greatest Roman orators. Michael Grant has been successively Chancellor's Medallist and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, Professor of Humanity at Edinburgh University, first Vice-chancellor of Khartoum University, President and Vice-chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast and President of the Classical Association.

Customer Reviews

A Partial Selection
Cicero perhaps doesn't need introducing. He was a powerful politician of the last decades of the Roman Republic, the 70s to the 40s BC. Originally a lawyer and an orator, he made his name prosecuting corrupt figures of the senatorial establishment, before joining the conservative camp against the populist tribunes and against Caesar. Cicero was consul in 63BC. His writings are massive and are one of the period's key historical sources, even if obviously not unbiased. He also wrote a set of philosophical treatises.

This edition contains only a tiny portion of the 800 or so letters, countless speeches, works on the constitution, on laws, and on moral questions that Cicero produced. The selection, furthermore, is problematic. The editors have labelled the larger section, comprising political texts, `Against Tyranny' (which they also call, anachronistically, `totalitarianism'). This section includes the Verrine indictment and speeches in defiance of Marc Antony, glossing over Cicero's switching to the side of Verres' friends in the intervening decades. Moreover, the editors avoid mention of Cicero's contentious role, as consul, in using extra-judicial means to repress the Catilinarian conspiracy. The Catilinarian speeches, perhaps his best known, are essential to an honest portrait of Cicero's politics; they are missing from this edition. The philosophical, second section likewise aims to portray Cicero as a grand old moral figure, comprising only On Duties and On Old Age. It misses fancier but interesting essays such as On Divination (Cicero was also an augur, an official soothsayer) and On the Nature of the Gods. The selection of letters, finally, is interesting, though only for the reader with good basic knowledge of their background (the editors' notes don't quite suffice).

Cicero's style is easy to read. Without necessarily wanting to reach for the multiple tomes of the complete Loeb edition, you may consider browsing for a meatier sample of Cicero's political writings, perhaps the Oxford Classics, and a separate selection of the treatises and letters.

Some things never change
Cicero was a name that kept cropping up in books about Julius Caesar, the Christian Meier book is good. He seemed to be a good man - he supported democracy (in as much as the elite should be able to vote) and believed in helping one's fellow man (he was even nice to his slaves!?!). This book is a selection of writings that gives a flavour to the man. He was a thinker but not profoundly original. He writes a moving letter to his son (who he never saw again before he died) - the tender encouragments that he gives would be quite at home in the 21st century. He describes the depravity of Mark Anthony in hilarious detail (vomiting in the Senate etc). He writes on the benefits of old age (he was old when he wrote it and me thinks he protests too much!).
This is a book that is worth reading. You will come away with a better feel for a great name from ancient times.

Cicero Murder Trials
What a fabulous read this is. Anybody wishing to get an idea of Ancient Roman justice in practice should read this. Cicero orates beautifullySelected Works (Classics) if the translations are accurate, in an easy, florid style that has the reader immersed, desperately angry one moment and in stitches the next. 'In Defence of Sextus Roscius' kept me glued. I could wax lyrical for an age if I had the talent! Buy this and enjoy! I followed on reading Cicero's 'Selected Works'