Cicero: Selected Works

Selected Works of the great Roman orator/statesman/philosopher Cicero is an excellent book for anyone approaching his work for the first time. Not only are there selections from Cicero’s writings on politics, moral philosophy and old age but there is a superb 30 page introduction written by Michael Grant. Thank you, Penguin books and thank you, Michael Grant! To provide a little Roman rasa, below are several quotes from the book along with my comments.From Michael Grant’s Introduction“Cicero was not often a very successful politician, but he derives unmistakable greatness from his insistence, against odds, that such dictatorial rulers were in the wrong because they unjustifiably curtailed the freedom of the individual; whereas the ultimate authority should be not themselves but certain unchangeable moral principles.” --------- Anybody who picks up a newspaper anywhere in the world will recognize immediately how Cicero’s writings are as relevant today as they were in ancient Rome. Matter of fact, with our omnipresent multinational corporations added to the political mix, perhaps even more relevant.“Cicero’s task was not an easy one; the Greek philosophers, to which with the added infusion of his own personality, he gave eloquent expression – far more eloquent than that of their original authors – contain much that was complicated and difficult, especially to unphilosophical Romans. ---------- Cicero’s achievement strikes home for me personally, living as I do in the unphilosophical Rome of the modern world: America. We should never take for granted we have access to the writings of ancient philosophers presented in well-crafted and clearly presented books such as this one.“The moral emphasis of Stoicism (when its dogma was toned down) was very acceptable to him, and indeed the basis of a great deal of his thought and feelings on moral and ethical problems. ---------- Michael Grant provides an easy-to-read short overview of how Cicero drew from not only Stoicism but many streams of Greek philosophy, such as the Pythagoreans , Platonists, Peripatetics (followers of Aristotle) and two schools Cicero particularly despised: the Cyrenaics (immediate happiness is the ultimate good) and the Epicureans (the philosophical school that shunned pubic life). Such lively and informative readings makes for a real treat.From ‘Against Verres’“One thing, then, that has influenced me is this gloating of yours over your tyrannical dominance in our courts; and another is the evident existence of men who feel not the slightest shame or disgust for their repulsive and outrageous behavior.” --------- In the world of Roman opulence and excess, Cicero could tell it like it is.From ‘On Duties’“Once I lived with great crowds around me, in the forefront of Roman publicity. But now I shun the sight of the scoundrels who swarm on every side. I withdraw as completely as I can; and I am often alone. However, as the philosophers instruct, one must not only choose the least among evils, one must extract from them any good that they may contain.” --------- This is a lesson we can all learn from: make the best of a less than ideal situation. ““Another objection urges that one ought to take account of compatriots but not of foreigners. But people who put forward these arguments subvert the whole foundation of the human community – and its removal means the annihilation of all kindness, generosity, goodness, and justice.” ------- Cicero’s words have a modern ring, as if he anticipated our 21st century world-wide culture and society.From: ‘On Old Age’“An actor need not remain on the stage until the very end of the play: if he wins applause in those acts in which he appears, he will have done well enough. In life, too, a man can perform his part wisely without staying on the stage until the play is finished. However short your life may be, it will still be long enough to live honestly and decently.” --------- This is but one of the many gold nuggets of ancient wisdom a reader will find in Cicero’s essay.

As Michael Grant explains in his introduction, Cicero's reputation has waxed and waned over the past two thousand years. That reputation was at its zenith at the time of the founding of the United States, and Cicero was like an old friend to Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Fathers. He was admired for many reasons, but perhaps the most outstanding was his concept of Natural Law, which had an enormous influence on the people who wrote the Constitution. And for that reason alone, it's worth getting to know Cicero. Relevant? You can hardly get more than a few pages into "On Duties (III)" before you come across this:"Granted that there is nothing unnatural in a man preferring to earn a living for himself rather than someone else, what nature forbids is that we should increase our own means, property and resources by plundering others."I would guess that the Founding Fathers agreed with this sentiment completely, for the simple reason that once citizens begin plundering one another, one of the primary social goals (living safely and without fear of your neighbor) is instantly destroyed. I would also guess that they didn't write this into the Constitution because it was so terribly obvious: every well-educated man understood Cicero and his concept of Natural Law. But they lived before the advent of Karl Marx...I also suspect that Cicero's "religion" was pretty close to the religion of the Founding Fathers. Cicero imagined the mind of the Universe to be God, while the physical body of the universe was made up by all the natural phenomena around us, and he was quite sure that each one of us carried within himself a spark of that divinity. As far as the afterlife, Cicero basically whittled the possibilities down to two. Either we cease to exist, and cease to feel pain, or there is an afterlife, and we will enter it. In either case, there is no reason to fear death.Another essay included in this book, "On Old Age," is a true Ciceronian classic. If I had my druthers, everyone would receive a free copy on his 60th birthday. It's a simple, short read, and cannot really be summarized in a short review.Another excellent book by Michael Grant!

I wish I had paid more attention in my philosophy classes in college as we discussed some of these writings. If you're not familiar with Cicero, take it slowly, think about what you're reading and remind yourself of the purpose of their discussion. These are adversarial conversations so keep that in mind.

Everything arrived on time and as advertised

A compliment to Amazon Kindle is entailed here. I got the Amazon Kindle version of the "Selected Works" of Cicero when my Penguin copy fell apart through overuse! This is the second time I have been motivated to get the Kindle version of a much read work: the other being my favorite autobiography: Ulysses S. Grant's "Personal Memoirs". Any literary work I value is henceforth going to go on Kindle: I'm through with perishable dead-tree books!I studied Latin through high school and Cicero's letters were an eye opener because of their clear Latin. Some of the best of these letters are in this volume of Cicero's "Selected Works". Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to read the good stuff in high school Latin: Cicero's 2nd Philippic against Anthony--often considered the greatest political pamphlet of all time--was probably considered too racy for schoolboys. Instead, we were forced to read the "Aeneid." (I never want to see that damned poem again!) But I got my own kids to read the 2nd Philippic, I hope to their benefit. And there are other great essays of Cicero's in his "Selected Works." Enjoy and benefit!