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Велики оратори #2
Избрани речи
"Избрани речи" на Цицерон е втора книга от поредицата "Велики оратори". Тя запознава с ораторското изкуство на Рим чрез най-видния му представител - Марк Тулий Цицерон. Подборът има за цел да създаде представа за дейността му на форума и в сената от младежките му години ("Реч в защита на Секст Росций") през големите борби около процесите на Верес и Милон и около съзаклятието на Катилина до последния сблъсък с Антоний. Книгата е предназначена за литературоведи, историци, изкуствоведи, юристи и за всички, конто се интересуват от античната словесност и я обичат.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 85
76 people are currently reading
3,198 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Tullius Cicero
7,782books1,880followersBorn 3 January 106 BC, Arpinum, Italy
Died 7 December 43 BC (aged 63), Formia, Italy
Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. Cicero is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.
Alternate profiles:
侱éDz
Marco Tullio Cicerone
Cicerone
Note: All editions should have Marcus Tullius Cicero as primary author. Editions with another name on the cover should have that name added as secondary author.
Died 7 December 43 BC (aged 63), Formia, Italy
Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. Cicero is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.
Alternate profiles:
侱éDz
Marco Tullio Cicerone
Cicerone
Note: All editions should have Marcus Tullius Cicero as primary author. Editions with another name on the cover should have that name added as secondary author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
September 6, 2021
Proof that Cicero is an eloquent speaker, and a man of words. His speeches here show evidently the skill of the famed orator, skills that made him one of the Late Republic's foremost politicians, and which have kept him famous and well-known two thousand years later.
Grant's translation, I think, does Cicero's eloquence justice, and rarely if ever has what I feel is awkward or archaic.
Favourite speeches:
Pro Caelio
In Catilinam (mostly the First and Second)
First Philippic
Grant's translation, I think, does Cicero's eloquence justice, and rarely if ever has what I feel is awkward or archaic.
Favourite speeches:
Pro Caelio
In Catilinam (mostly the First and Second)
First Philippic
September 12, 2018
I came in expecting irresistible rhetorical firepower, and I got that in spades. What took me by surprise was the sheer range of registers: from the Bravo-like drama and the airing of an opponent's dirty laundry to the sordid, "Dear-Leader"-like prostration before Pompey or Caesar; from self-effacing modesty to breathtaking self-aggrandizement; from established facts to flat-out fiction; from carefully tuned emotional appeals to unhinged hyperbole (i.e., if you disagree with me, the Republic shall fall and we are all going to die). In other words, great.
July 10, 2023
I found myself wanting to read speeches/orations and this was precisely what I needed to read. I have one major problem with it, it is missing a phrase I was really looking forward to seeing how it would be translated or explained. The phrase is " O tempora, o mores!", I looked in the original Latin speech to see where it should be and it is not , it was disappointing not seeing it. Other than that I like that there are historic contexts at the beginning of every speech.
I was listening to this while reading it =>
I was listening to this while reading it =>
September 25, 2018
Very interesting. The republic was falling apart at the time.
January 23, 2021
Speeches from the end of the Republic. Cicero proclaims its glories, his achievements, and the venality of their foes.
June 8, 2021
I can strive to be civiliter. I can only wish to be a cicerone.
April 8, 2021
3.5
As always, loved the speeches of Cicero -- and a very fine selection of them was put together in this edition! Perfect for showing the gradation in his own thoughts, and development (or downfall) of Rome.
I was not very happy with this particular edition though, so that lowers the rating.
As always, loved the speeches of Cicero -- and a very fine selection of them was put together in this edition! Perfect for showing the gradation in his own thoughts, and development (or downfall) of Rome.
I was not very happy with this particular edition though, so that lowers the rating.
March 29, 2025
I’ve read something of Cicero before...though I can’t recall exactly what...but, at least “How to win an argument� and “The letters of Cicero". But I determined that I should, at least read some of his political speeches. After all, he is famous as a rhetorician. Cicero wrote a lot...including books on how to be a great public speaker. Fundamentally he believed that people are ruled by their emotions and if you could touch their emotions you had the key to persuading them. Fear, anger etc., were important. I have also learned that he used props (like having a cute baby in court) and hand gestures were very important in conveying emotions when you were addressing large crowds .....like 20,000 people....without microphones. He also popularised the technique of remembering speeches by associating the various points with a familiar journey (either around his home or outdoors).
Cicero was certainly an interesting figure and lived at a very interesting period of the Roman Empire...with Caesar, Pompey and Mark Anthony as contemporaries. He came from a wealthy family (Some considerable distance from Rome) and obviously had a good education [in Rome] and by 70 BC he had established himself as the leading barrister in Rome. In the meantime his political career was well under way and he was elected praetor for the year 66. His ambitious nature enabled him to obtain those honours which would normally only have been conferred upon members of the Roman aristocracy, and he was duly elected consul for 63. Cicero was the greatest of the Roman orators, possessing a wide range of technique and an exceptional command of the Latin tongue. He followed the common practice of publishing his speeches...hence we have the current book.
Actually, I have to confess, I’ve not read all the speeches......Just a sampling of them to give me something of the flavour of the man and his messaging.
In one of these speeches: “Against Lucius Sergius Catilina� Cicero revealed that Catalina was plotting a coup and massacre . As the translator points out in his notes: “It is, in fact, doubtful whether Cicero and Catilina each delivered a single speech in turn. Probably there was much excitable give-and-take, what the Romans called altercatio: the oration which has come down to us being a written-up version of the points which Cicero made during this ex-change, perhaps with a few more added by hindsight after the event�.
Nevertheless, the speech as we have it still ends with something of an anti-climax, because after a recital of Catilina's allegedly horrible record and intentions Cicero concludes with a rather tame suggestion that he should relieve Rome of his presence.
My initial impression was that his speech was nothing special...though it was clear and hung together as a good story. But on second reading I can see how he did engage the emotions ...especially of the other senate members who were the main audience. See as follows:
“What a scandalous commentary on our age and its standards! For the Senate knows about all these things. The consul sees them being done. And yet this man still lives! Lives? He walks right into the Senate. He joins in our national debates - watches and notes and marks down with his gaze each one of us he plots to assassinate. And we, how brave we are! Just by getting out of the way of his frenzied onslaught, we feel we are doing patriotic duty.� ....he notes that Catilina has plotted to assassinate them (instilling fear) then appeals to their sense of honour that all they are doing is “getting out of his way�.
And Cicero, does pull the story together in a masterful way: viz
“You are hemmed in on every side. All your schemes are more glaringly evident to us than the light of day.
Let us just go over them together. Do you remember how I said in the Senate on the twenty-first of October that Gaius Manlius, your henchman and satellite in this frightful project, would take up arms on a particular date, and that the date in question would be the twenty-seventh of October? Was I mistaken, Catilina, in prophesying this significant, deplorable and unbelievable event?.........�
But his call to action is (as mentioned above) rather weak.... “Since that is the position, Catilina, I call upon you to leave for the destination you already have in mind. Depart, at last, from our city! The gates are open; be on your way. Your camp run by Manlius has been waiting all too long for you to take over its command. And take all your friends with you, or as many as you can - clean the city up. Once there is a wall between you and ourselves, you will have delivered me from grave anxiety. With us, you can remain no longer. I find it unendurable that you should still be here: unendurable, intolerable, impermissible�.....Though I guess, if Catilina had a large following it might have been rather difficult and involve great violence, to remove them. Much easier if they vacated themselves.
And then, his protestations of humility and modesty: “For all this that I have done, gentlemen, I ask of you no prize for merit, no badge of honour, no monument of glory. I ask only that this day should never be forgotten. It is inside your hearts that I want you to construct and cherish my Triumphs and decorations of honour and monuments of glory and insignia of renown.�
These were clearly pretty rough times in which to be living. In fact, it would not have been clear to Cicero, exactly who, in his audience were actually sympathisers of Catilina. And one has to give real credit to Cicero for speaking up and denouncing Catilina when he knew that he was a marked man himself.
My take on the book. Excellent. A great example of Cicero’s talents, a smoothly flowing translation and some really helpful contextual notes accompanying each speech.
Five stars from me.
Cicero was certainly an interesting figure and lived at a very interesting period of the Roman Empire...with Caesar, Pompey and Mark Anthony as contemporaries. He came from a wealthy family (Some considerable distance from Rome) and obviously had a good education [in Rome] and by 70 BC he had established himself as the leading barrister in Rome. In the meantime his political career was well under way and he was elected praetor for the year 66. His ambitious nature enabled him to obtain those honours which would normally only have been conferred upon members of the Roman aristocracy, and he was duly elected consul for 63. Cicero was the greatest of the Roman orators, possessing a wide range of technique and an exceptional command of the Latin tongue. He followed the common practice of publishing his speeches...hence we have the current book.
Actually, I have to confess, I’ve not read all the speeches......Just a sampling of them to give me something of the flavour of the man and his messaging.
In one of these speeches: “Against Lucius Sergius Catilina� Cicero revealed that Catalina was plotting a coup and massacre . As the translator points out in his notes: “It is, in fact, doubtful whether Cicero and Catilina each delivered a single speech in turn. Probably there was much excitable give-and-take, what the Romans called altercatio: the oration which has come down to us being a written-up version of the points which Cicero made during this ex-change, perhaps with a few more added by hindsight after the event�.
Nevertheless, the speech as we have it still ends with something of an anti-climax, because after a recital of Catilina's allegedly horrible record and intentions Cicero concludes with a rather tame suggestion that he should relieve Rome of his presence.
My initial impression was that his speech was nothing special...though it was clear and hung together as a good story. But on second reading I can see how he did engage the emotions ...especially of the other senate members who were the main audience. See as follows:
“What a scandalous commentary on our age and its standards! For the Senate knows about all these things. The consul sees them being done. And yet this man still lives! Lives? He walks right into the Senate. He joins in our national debates - watches and notes and marks down with his gaze each one of us he plots to assassinate. And we, how brave we are! Just by getting out of the way of his frenzied onslaught, we feel we are doing patriotic duty.� ....he notes that Catilina has plotted to assassinate them (instilling fear) then appeals to their sense of honour that all they are doing is “getting out of his way�.
And Cicero, does pull the story together in a masterful way: viz
“You are hemmed in on every side. All your schemes are more glaringly evident to us than the light of day.
Let us just go over them together. Do you remember how I said in the Senate on the twenty-first of October that Gaius Manlius, your henchman and satellite in this frightful project, would take up arms on a particular date, and that the date in question would be the twenty-seventh of October? Was I mistaken, Catilina, in prophesying this significant, deplorable and unbelievable event?.........�
But his call to action is (as mentioned above) rather weak.... “Since that is the position, Catilina, I call upon you to leave for the destination you already have in mind. Depart, at last, from our city! The gates are open; be on your way. Your camp run by Manlius has been waiting all too long for you to take over its command. And take all your friends with you, or as many as you can - clean the city up. Once there is a wall between you and ourselves, you will have delivered me from grave anxiety. With us, you can remain no longer. I find it unendurable that you should still be here: unendurable, intolerable, impermissible�.....Though I guess, if Catilina had a large following it might have been rather difficult and involve great violence, to remove them. Much easier if they vacated themselves.
And then, his protestations of humility and modesty: “For all this that I have done, gentlemen, I ask of you no prize for merit, no badge of honour, no monument of glory. I ask only that this day should never be forgotten. It is inside your hearts that I want you to construct and cherish my Triumphs and decorations of honour and monuments of glory and insignia of renown.�
These were clearly pretty rough times in which to be living. In fact, it would not have been clear to Cicero, exactly who, in his audience were actually sympathisers of Catilina. And one has to give real credit to Cicero for speaking up and denouncing Catilina when he knew that he was a marked man himself.
My take on the book. Excellent. A great example of Cicero’s talents, a smoothly flowing translation and some really helpful contextual notes accompanying each speech.
Five stars from me.
February 16, 2011
The greatest orator of his day as well as an accomplished philosopher and historian, Cicero lived at the single most turbulent and dangerous period of Rome's history. He knew Pompey, Caesar, Cato, Brutus and Cassius.
A truly modern man - his ego easily flattered, desirous of material wealth and public success, but also strongly motivated by a need to do what was right and just - his political speeches are masterworks of propaganda, spin, inescapable reasoning and emotional appeals.
Reading about famous figures from history is good, but there is no substitute for reading their words themselves, even in translation. And this is a good translation, retaining the biting sarcasm and the fire that made this unprepossessing little man so feared in public court.
A truly modern man - his ego easily flattered, desirous of material wealth and public success, but also strongly motivated by a need to do what was right and just - his political speeches are masterworks of propaganda, spin, inescapable reasoning and emotional appeals.
Reading about famous figures from history is good, but there is no substitute for reading their words themselves, even in translation. And this is a good translation, retaining the biting sarcasm and the fire that made this unprepossessing little man so feared in public court.
December 2, 2017
When reading this I began to see how historians have pieced together Ancient Rome. It's exciting to know that with a little commitment (some would say a lot) one can read the extant primary sources on Ancient Rome and begin to see the world through your own historical lens. Archeology is above my pay grade but I can certainly read a lot.
My favorite speeches were the last two. In Support of Marcus Claudius Marcellus is all about Julius Caesar and the final speech The First Philippic has some fine commentary directed at politicians concerning their reputations. This shouldn't be the first book about Rome that you read but it should certainly be one of them. And thankfully there are several more surviving Cicero speeches!!!
My favorite speeches were the last two. In Support of Marcus Claudius Marcellus is all about Julius Caesar and the final speech The First Philippic has some fine commentary directed at politicians concerning their reputations. This shouldn't be the first book about Rome that you read but it should certainly be one of them. And thankfully there are several more surviving Cicero speeches!!!
March 29, 2023
This book never leaves my side. It contains a lot of the best speeches of the best person in history so obviously it's the best book ever. This and his murder trials travel with me everywhere. Homework doesn't get done, GCSEs are about to be failed, but reading this book comes first. I've read the speeches against Catilina (which are obviously in this book) so many times I can practically recite them and they are the most perfect speeches known to man. Michael Grant is a brilliant translator and I genuinely enjoy reading all his introductions to the speeches and his notes on Cicero's style and meaning, with helpful explanations of the ancient customs mentioned. The translation captures the meaning and the eloquence perfectly, and shows Cicero's attitude brilliantly which is one of my favourite things about him. My favourite translation of his has got to be the Sextus Roscius trial in the murder trials book, as 26 year old Cicero's sass comes across brilliantly and I was genuinely laughing out loud at the 20-something pages dedicated purely to insulting the prosecutor, Erucius (please read that trial I love it so much)
I also love the length of Cicero's speeches, although I probably am among only a few people who love how annoying he is as well as everything else about this man, so if I see any complaints about that or his lack of main verbs I will get so unbelievable angry - he wasn't writing these speeches thinking about the 17 year olds 2000 years in the future translating them for their A levels, and I hate that that's all people remember him for. If I can survive it, even enjoy it, at the age of 15, so can 17 year olds, I'm sure.
And for those of you saying that Cicero was a coward, a liar and a hypocrite, perhaps he was 2 of those things, but he was never a coward. What coward would directly oppose several of the most powerful men in Rome? What coward would die as he did?
He was a hypocrite, but he was an expert one, and no one seemed to notice back then. Also, so were all other politicians who kept their heads for more than 40 years.
As for being a liar, I can't personally prove that he wasn't one, but you can't exactly prove that he was. And, once again, so were all other politicians at that time.
I also love the length of Cicero's speeches, although I probably am among only a few people who love how annoying he is as well as everything else about this man, so if I see any complaints about that or his lack of main verbs I will get so unbelievable angry - he wasn't writing these speeches thinking about the 17 year olds 2000 years in the future translating them for their A levels, and I hate that that's all people remember him for. If I can survive it, even enjoy it, at the age of 15, so can 17 year olds, I'm sure.
And for those of you saying that Cicero was a coward, a liar and a hypocrite, perhaps he was 2 of those things, but he was never a coward. What coward would directly oppose several of the most powerful men in Rome? What coward would die as he did?
He was a hypocrite, but he was an expert one, and no one seemed to notice back then. Also, so were all other politicians who kept their heads for more than 40 years.
As for being a liar, I can't personally prove that he wasn't one, but you can't exactly prove that he was. And, once again, so were all other politicians at that time.
June 27, 2021
Няма да е преувеличение да кажа, че речите на бележат върха на ораторското изкуство. Макар и на пръв поглед някои от тях да изглеждат твърде дълги, то всъщност нито едно изречение не е излишно. Безпощадни както в обвинение, така и в защита, съдебните речи на Марк Цицерон са блестящ пример за единство на форма, стил и един изключително богат речник. И макар (за жалост) подобни речи да са вече не само ненужни в съдебния процес, но и може би досадни за слушателите, чиято способност за концентрация става все по-нищожна, то те са пример за това, че публичното слово може да е много повече от подготвените хартийки, съдържанието на които сме принудени да изслушваме по определени поводи.
Макар и сами по себе си речите на Марк Цицерон да са повече от достатъчни за читателя, мисля, че те биха имали дори още по-голям ефект, ако преди това той се е запознал и с реторическите трудове на Цицерон - диалозите "", "Брут, или за прочутите оратори" и "Ораторът".
Макар и сами по себе си речите на Марк Цицерон да са повече от достатъчни за читателя, мисля, че те биха имали дори още по-голям ефект, ако преди това той се е запознал и с реторическите трудове на Цицерон - диалозите "", "Брут, или за прочутите оратори" и "Ораторът".
March 6, 2024
Careful edition with a fluid translation of a few of Cicero’s speeches or rather Cicero’s version of his speeches since he revised and corrected before laying them down on paper, Each speech is introduced with some context which makes them more understandable.
These are not a breezy read. The amount of historical research required( what did people do before Wikipedia? ), the abundance of similar Roman names, the unfamiliar structure of Roman oratory and its institutions, the lengthy arguments and self-aggrandizing disclaimers make for a lot of work.
That said, what we have here is a very conflicted individual, a person trying to uphold his republican ideals in the face of a decomposing republic. Pulled in every direction, Cicero grovels in front of dictators, pleads the case for scoundrels, never produces any evidence , invents stories, shifts alliances, invents, summons divine authority for good measure, puts himself in danger and seeks to stir audiences to indignation, sorrow, fear�.
The end result is a fascinating look into a very tumultuous period of Roman history and the comparisons with today just make themselves.
These are not a breezy read. The amount of historical research required( what did people do before Wikipedia? ), the abundance of similar Roman names, the unfamiliar structure of Roman oratory and its institutions, the lengthy arguments and self-aggrandizing disclaimers make for a lot of work.
That said, what we have here is a very conflicted individual, a person trying to uphold his republican ideals in the face of a decomposing republic. Pulled in every direction, Cicero grovels in front of dictators, pleads the case for scoundrels, never produces any evidence , invents stories, shifts alliances, invents, summons divine authority for good measure, puts himself in danger and seeks to stir audiences to indignation, sorrow, fear�.
The end result is a fascinating look into a very tumultuous period of Roman history and the comparisons with today just make themselves.
March 29, 2025
Reading Cicero’s Selected Political Speeches feels like sitting with someone who truly believes that words—when spoken with conviction and conscience—can shape the destiny of a people. His speeches are filled with urgency, yes, but also with grace, reason, and a deep love for the Roman Republic and the ideals it once promised. You can feel his heart breaking as much as his voice rising.
What stays with me most is how timeless his hopes and fears feel. He speaks of justice, duty, and honor as if they’re sacred threads holding society together—and warns of what happens when those threads unravel. There’s a rawness beneath the rhetoric, a sense of a man trying to protect something bigger than himself. In reading Cicero, we’re reminded that politics, at its best, is a form of service rooted in courage, truth, and love for one’s people. His words still echo, not just with power, but with care.
What stays with me most is how timeless his hopes and fears feel. He speaks of justice, duty, and honor as if they’re sacred threads holding society together—and warns of what happens when those threads unravel. There’s a rawness beneath the rhetoric, a sense of a man trying to protect something bigger than himself. In reading Cicero, we’re reminded that politics, at its best, is a form of service rooted in courage, truth, and love for one’s people. His words still echo, not just with power, but with care.
August 22, 2019
Not what I was expecting. These are almost exclusively speeches either in favor of an individual, or in opposition to an individual, often in a trial setting. The brief introductions to each speech were very helpful and gave excellent historic context. I was hoping for more political theory, but that can only be inferred. The most enjoyable part for me was simply Cicero's opinions and observations as the Roman Republic gasps its final breaths. I kept wondering if he had any inking that both Caesar and Pompeius would seek dictatorial power. From such a short collection it is hard to say this with any certainty, but he only really seems to find his courage after Caesar's death in the First Philippic speech.
This is not a must-read, but it adds fascinating detail to an important sliver of history.
This is not a must-read, but it adds fascinating detail to an important sliver of history.
June 18, 2024
It is telling of the great culture degeneration of the last century that the closest modern renderings of Ciceroean oratory is found not in the American republic's senate but in the meandearing wit of the British Houses before the Second World War. Perhaps popular democracy ( as opposed to a consensual republic netted on all sides) does grade into a rhetoric of brief quips and appeals to common sense ( which is the commenest of senses). Cicero is wonderfully eloquent but what is at the heart of his appeal is his ferocious, almost philosophical loyalty to truth. It is uncommon for these two qualities to work in unison and that is why these orations seem like the answer to the conflict between the private and the public, between nursed truth and the glosses of what seems to be the general wellbeing.
March 6, 2019
Reading this, I felt like I was a political spectator in the Forum itself. Although Cicero is often contrary, his speech is so eloquent that his pompous and often self-serving words don't matter. I respect Cicero immensely - he was only a knight, but he made his way to the top of the political structure through hard work and intelligence. The language in his speeches are dense, but they're also gripping and revealing. I also found myself laughing at many points - Cicero knows how to craft an educated insult (read his Philippics)! Overall, this translation captures the spirit and climate of the late Republic of Rome. All the politics, civil war, and scandals of the era (i.e. Clodius and his infamous sister) are revealed intimately. Overall, an entertaining read!
Read
November 9, 2024Megalopolis-inspired reading. I was surprised just how many details of the characters were taken from the actual history (Clodius's cross-dressing, alleged incest and vestal virgin defiling, as well as the mystery of Catlina's wife). Unfortunately, no sign of Megalon or Wow Platinum in here.
May 12, 2021
Good collection of polemical speeches by Cicero, spanning both his legal and political career. A good supplement to the selected works in penguin
September 24, 2022
Timeless.
March 14, 2024
Engaging insights into ancient politics through Cicero's eloquent speeches, revealing timeless wisdom and rhetorical mastery.
August 6, 2024
preuve de plus que Ciceron était l’un voir le meilleur orateur romain (mon idole)
December 18, 2024
only read In Defence of Marcus Caelius Rufus
November 12, 2020
When one is looking for a book by Cicero that explains why it is that he remains a vital and important figure in political rhetoric despite having lived more than 2000 years ago and despite his various personal flaws and shortcomimgs as a republican figure, the way he navigated the late Roman Republic has some obvious relevance for us today as our own period is not too dissimilar from his own. This ought to, of course, make anyone who is a friend of responsible and free government reflect upon the way that republicans fail through government failing to meet the needs of the people and then unscrupulous people seeking to dominate government while others pander to the people in order to increase their own power. By the time that Cicero was politically active the Roman Republic was likely beyond saving, but Cicero gave it his best effort anyway, and this book is testament to the way that he sought to encourage and cajole and encourage the Roman leaders of his time to "do the right thing" over and over again, even as his speeches reveal some of the essential problems of the Roman regime of his time, problems that are very relevant to us at the present time as well.
This book is reasonably sized at a bit more than 300 pages. It begins with an introduction that sets Cicero's public speaking and political career in its proper and melancholy historical context. After that the book contains seven main speeches. First, there is a praise of the command of Cnaeus Pompeius in support of the Manilian Law and the expansion of the Roman Empire into the Middle East (1). After that there is a look at his four speeches against Cataline (2) during his consulate that marked the high point of his power as a practical politician in defense of the Republic. This is followed by a series of defenses, defending the poet Aulus Licinus Archias (3), then Marcus Caelius Rufus (4), and finally, and most controversially, the thuggish but patriotic Titus Annius Milo (5), who was convicted and avoided judgment by fleeing the jurisdiction of the Senate. After that there is a speech showing Cicero's support of Marcus Claudius Marcellus (6) , and then his first and ultimately fatal philippic against Marcus Antonius that led to his prescription and death (7). After that there are some appendices, including a key to technical terms (i), suggestions for further reading (ii), and maps (iii), as well as an index of personal names.
In reading this book, one is reminded of the fact that republican government has always depended to a large extent on the cultivation of the art of rhetoric. Where it is necessary to build a large consensus of people to support something, one needs to have a certain power of words to encourage people to work together and cooperate, unless one is to leave such cooperation to only the baser instincts of corrupt crony capitalism, which is also something that can motivate more corrupt and decadent regimes. Cicero's rhetoric, which was not always successful even if it usually managed to carry the day, reveals the sort of political problems of the late Roman Republic in ways that we can see in our own days, including the need to defend some unsavory political characters (like Milo, for example), because their violent deeds are necessary to counteract even more unsavory violence by corrupt and partisan politicians who abuse their power to support their friends or make life difficult for their enemies. Ultimately, of course, Cicero was unsuccessful and his hostility to the work of Marcus Antonius led to his being put on an enemy list and gruesomely executed for his service on behalf of the late Republic. But even after his death, long after his death, his rhetoric reminds us of the words which are sometimes necessary to make a brave attempt to save what is worth saving, namely the hope of good and responsible government.
This book is reasonably sized at a bit more than 300 pages. It begins with an introduction that sets Cicero's public speaking and political career in its proper and melancholy historical context. After that the book contains seven main speeches. First, there is a praise of the command of Cnaeus Pompeius in support of the Manilian Law and the expansion of the Roman Empire into the Middle East (1). After that there is a look at his four speeches against Cataline (2) during his consulate that marked the high point of his power as a practical politician in defense of the Republic. This is followed by a series of defenses, defending the poet Aulus Licinus Archias (3), then Marcus Caelius Rufus (4), and finally, and most controversially, the thuggish but patriotic Titus Annius Milo (5), who was convicted and avoided judgment by fleeing the jurisdiction of the Senate. After that there is a speech showing Cicero's support of Marcus Claudius Marcellus (6) , and then his first and ultimately fatal philippic against Marcus Antonius that led to his prescription and death (7). After that there are some appendices, including a key to technical terms (i), suggestions for further reading (ii), and maps (iii), as well as an index of personal names.
In reading this book, one is reminded of the fact that republican government has always depended to a large extent on the cultivation of the art of rhetoric. Where it is necessary to build a large consensus of people to support something, one needs to have a certain power of words to encourage people to work together and cooperate, unless one is to leave such cooperation to only the baser instincts of corrupt crony capitalism, which is also something that can motivate more corrupt and decadent regimes. Cicero's rhetoric, which was not always successful even if it usually managed to carry the day, reveals the sort of political problems of the late Roman Republic in ways that we can see in our own days, including the need to defend some unsavory political characters (like Milo, for example), because their violent deeds are necessary to counteract even more unsavory violence by corrupt and partisan politicians who abuse their power to support their friends or make life difficult for their enemies. Ultimately, of course, Cicero was unsuccessful and his hostility to the work of Marcus Antonius led to his being put on an enemy list and gruesomely executed for his service on behalf of the late Republic. But even after his death, long after his death, his rhetoric reminds us of the words which are sometimes necessary to make a brave attempt to save what is worth saving, namely the hope of good and responsible government.
September 6, 2009
* * * 1/2
A solid collection of speeches from Marcus Tullius Cicero. Each one is accompanied by a detailed introduction that puts the speech into its historical context, which is very helpful for people who are not that familiar with Roman history. Footnotes are sprinkled throughout the speeches as well, providing clarification or explaining a play on meaning (for example, on the word "popularis" in the First Philippic, or the "penny" pun in the speech in defence of Caelius), explaining historical references, and indicating passages that come out rather obscure in translation.
Speaking of the translation, this was a very good job. Of course the sentence construction is extremely formal, but then these were being delivered in the Senate and the Assembly, so of course Cicero would want to pull out all the rhetorical stops and speak eloquently, not casually. I did often find myself reading the same sentence a couple of times in a row, but that's what happens when you pick dense intellectual works as bus books. One oddity I noticed was the translator's use of the word "Besides" at the beginning of a clause. Sometimes it did not seem to fit, as if it was being used as the stock translation for a particularly tricky Latin word.
In any case, the book was still very readable and even had some pretty funny lines. Here are a couple of favourites.
From the Introduction (to the whole book):
From the speech in defence of Caelius:
Cicero is not a fan of Clodia, the woman who is accusing Caelius of stealing her money and trying to poison her. She is a widow and sleeps with basically any man in a toga, apparently, even her own brother Clodius (who was alleged to have done it with all of his sisters). So Cicero, when he speaks of Clodius, he calls him "[Clodia's:] husband, I mean her brother -- sorry, I always make that mistake." He probably said that "sorry" while hiding a little smirk. Oh Cicero, you are a pistol.
This book was very illuminating and I learned a bit more about Roman history through the work of Cicero -- perhaps slightly biased, especially in the case of those invectives against Catiline and Mark Antony, but it's more than I knew before, in particular about Mark Antony and Caesar. If you like this time period, give this book a shot.
A solid collection of speeches from Marcus Tullius Cicero. Each one is accompanied by a detailed introduction that puts the speech into its historical context, which is very helpful for people who are not that familiar with Roman history. Footnotes are sprinkled throughout the speeches as well, providing clarification or explaining a play on meaning (for example, on the word "popularis" in the First Philippic, or the "penny" pun in the speech in defence of Caelius), explaining historical references, and indicating passages that come out rather obscure in translation.
Speaking of the translation, this was a very good job. Of course the sentence construction is extremely formal, but then these were being delivered in the Senate and the Assembly, so of course Cicero would want to pull out all the rhetorical stops and speak eloquently, not casually. I did often find myself reading the same sentence a couple of times in a row, but that's what happens when you pick dense intellectual works as bus books. One oddity I noticed was the translator's use of the word "Besides" at the beginning of a clause. Sometimes it did not seem to fit, as if it was being used as the stock translation for a particularly tricky Latin word.
In any case, the book was still very readable and even had some pretty funny lines. Here are a couple of favourites.
From the Introduction (to the whole book):
When the aristocratic Q. Metellus Nepos asked Cicero the snobbish question "Who was your father?" it was understandable, but not calculated to endear a great family towards him, for Cicero to reply: "I can scarcely ask you the same question since your mother has made it rather difficult to answer."
From the speech in defence of Caelius:
Cicero is not a fan of Clodia, the woman who is accusing Caelius of stealing her money and trying to poison her. She is a widow and sleeps with basically any man in a toga, apparently, even her own brother Clodius (who was alleged to have done it with all of his sisters). So Cicero, when he speaks of Clodius, he calls him "[Clodia's:] husband, I mean her brother -- sorry, I always make that mistake." He probably said that "sorry" while hiding a little smirk. Oh Cicero, you are a pistol.
This book was very illuminating and I learned a bit more about Roman history through the work of Cicero -- perhaps slightly biased, especially in the case of those invectives against Catiline and Mark Antony, but it's more than I knew before, in particular about Mark Antony and Caesar. If you like this time period, give this book a shot.
July 30, 2020
Perfect
May 27, 2016
If you want to get an idea of why Cicero is such an intriguing and human historical figure, I recommend Robert Harris' novels. If you want to get an idea of why Cicero is regarded as one of the greatest rhetoricians of all time, and certainly the greatest Latin rhetorician, I recommend reading him in Latin. If you don't know Latin and don't have time to learn (although I sometimes wonder how people who don't know Latin manage to use adequate English) then you could do much worse than the Penguin Classics editions of some of his finer speeches.
May 17, 2018
I hate to give Cicero a three star review, but this Penguin translation (Penguin is usually solid) absolutely murdered Cicero's prose. After reading about 145 pages, and realizing that something was missing, I decided to download a free eBook of Cicero's works, translated by C.D. Yonge, and the difference was so profound, I wonder how Penguin could have even let this be published.
Go for the 19th century translations, when people wrote with soul. Cicero won't translate right otherwise.
That being said, it's Cicero.
Go for the 19th century translations, when people wrote with soul. Cicero won't translate right otherwise.
That being said, it's Cicero.
January 8, 2025
«What a scandalous commentary on our age and its standards! For the Senate knows about all these things. The consul sees them being done. And yet this man still lives! Lives? He walks right into the Senate. He joins in our national debates - watches and notes and marks down with his gaze each one of us he plots to assassinate. And we, how brave we are! Just by getting out of the way of his frenzied onslaught, we feel we are doing patriotic duty enough.» - Cicero, In Catilinam I, Book 1, Section 1.
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