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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.