Author Description
'How I wish that you had invited me to that most attractive feast on the Ides of March!' Cicero lived through some of the most turbulent years in the history of Rome, and witnessed at first-hand the overthrow of the republic and its replacement by a tyranny. His letters to friends and family are an astonishingly detailed record of daily life and politics in Rome. This selection, covering the years 68-43 BC, not merely documents in detail Cicero's career but simultaneously provides a month-by-month record of the final collapse of the Roman senatorial government. The letters provide from the inside a vivid picture of events from the high point of Cicero's consulship of 63, through the humiliation of his exile and subsequent subjection to the dynasts, to the assassination of Caesar in 44, and Cicero's brief hour of glory in leading senatorial resistance to the tyranny of Mark Antony. In P. G. Walsh's lively new translation, Cicero's correspondence once more brings alive the excitement and danger of ancient Rome. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This collection investigates the political and personal life of Marcus Tullius Cicero during the final decades of the Roman Republic. P. G. Walsh, a noted scholar of classical literature, curates and translates this selection to illustrate the transition from senatorial governance to autocratic rule. By presenting Cicero's own correspondence, the work argues that these primary documents offer an unparalleled, contemporaneous perspective on the collapse of Roman republican institutions.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Correspondence spanning the years 68 BC to 43 BC.
- Detailed accounts of the consulship of 63 BC, the exile of Cicero, and the assassination of Julius Caesar.
- Commentary on the rise of dynasts and the political maneuvering against Mark Antony.
Scope Limits
- The collection does not provide a comprehensive biography of Cicero's entire life.
- The text focuses primarily on political and public life rather than private domestic minutiae.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and students frequently cite this volume as a standard, accessible entry point for understanding the late Roman Republic through primary source material. Experts highlight the translation's clarity and the utility of the scholarly apparatus provided by the Oxford World's Classics series.
Page Count:
403
Publication Date:
2008-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191607517
ISBN-13:
9780191607516
Biography
Non-Fiction
History
Letters
Ancient - Rome
English
English & College Success