Source edition
Cicero. Ciceronis, M. Tullius. Epistulae, Vol. III. 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 of letters documents the urgent correspondence between the statesman Cicero and Brutus, one of the leading conspirators in the assassination of Julius Caesar, during the volatile period following Caesar's death. At the heart of their exchange is a sharp disagreement over how to handle the rising young Octavian. While Cicero advocates for appeasing and utilizing Octavian to safeguard the Senate's authority, Brutus vehemently criticizes this approach as a servile compromise that risks giving rise to a new tyrant. Their debate also extends to the treatment of political enemies, with Cicero demanding strict punishments to secure the state, while Brutus counsels legal caution and pleads for the protection of innocent family members. As the military situation in Italy deteriorates, Cicero repeatedly implores Brutus to hasten back from the East with his legions to rescue the Republic. Interspersed with personal matters like family grief and recommendations, these letters vividly capture the anguish and ideological friction of two prominent figures grappling with the survival of Roman liberty.
Contents
30 chunks
Cited by book.letter.section
- §1.1.1-1.1.2
- §1.2.1-1.2.3
- §1.2a.1-1.2a.3
- §1.3.1-1.3.3
- §1.3a.1
- §1.4.1-1.4.3
- §1.4a.1-1.4a.4
- §1.5.1-1.5.4
- §1.6.1-1.6.4
- §1.7.1-1.7.2
- §1.8.1-1.8.2
- §1.9.1-1.9.3
- §1.10.1-1.10.5
- §1.11.1-1.11.2
- §1.12.1-1.12.3
- §1.13.1-1.13.2
- §1.14.1-1.14.2
- §1.15.1-1.15.5
- §1.15.6-1.15.9
- §1.15.10-1.15.13
- §1.16.1-1.16.4
- §1.16.5-1.16.7
- §1.16.8-1.16.11
- §1.17.1-1.17.7
- §1.18.1-1.18.6
- §2.1.1-2.1.3
- §2.2.1-2.2.3
- §2.3.1-2.3.6
- §2.4.1-2.4.6
- §2.5.1-2.5.6