Cicero

Cicero

Letters to Friends

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Citation
book.letter.section
Chunks
413
§1.1.1-1.1.4–§16.27.1-16.27.2
Aligned sentences
26,555
日本語 8233 · English 5187 · 简体中文 5369 · 한국어 7766

Source edition

Cicero. Ciceronis, M. Tullius. Epistulae, Vol. 1. Purser, Louis Claude, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1901.

Source data

Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)

Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.

Summary

This collection comprises a vast array of personal and political letters written by the Roman statesman and orator Cicero to his political allies, friends, beloved family, and his freedman secretary Tiro. Spanning a tumultuous period from his exile and return, through his governorship in Cilicia, to the Caesar’s civil war and the chaotic aftermath of Caesar's assassination, these letters capture the raw reality of the late Roman Republic. Through this informal medium, Cicero reveals his genuine anxieties, political maneuvering, and severe inner conflicts that are absent from his formal speeches. Amidst the collapse of the state, the correspondence also showcases his warm humanity, featuring witty discussions on philosophy and literature with intellectual peers, and deep concern for Tiro's health. Ultimately, the collection offers an unprecedentedly vivid self-portrait of a classical intellectual seeking solace in friendship and philosophy while struggling to navigate a crumbling world.

Contents

413 chunks

Cited by book.letter.section