ebook img

Political Speeches (Oxford World's Classics) PDF

388 Pages·2006·1.34 MB·English
by  
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview Political Speeches (Oxford World's Classics)

oxford world’s classics POLITICAL SPEECHES Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 bc) was the son of a Roman eques from Arpinum, some 70 miles south-east of Rome. He rose to prominence through his skill in speaking and his exceptional success in the criminal courts, where he usually spoke for the defence. Although from a family that had never produced a Roman senator, he secured election to all the major political offices at the earliest age permitted by law. His consulship fell in a year (63) in which a dangerous insurrection occurred, the Catilinarian conspiracy; by his persuasive oratory and his controversial execution of five confessed conspirators, he prevented the conspiracy from breaking out at Rome and was hailed as the father of his country. Exiled for the executions by his enemy Clodius in 58 but recalled the following year, he lost his political independence as a result of the domination of politics by the military dynasts Pompey and Caesar. His gover- norship of Cilicia (51–50) was exemplary in its honesty and fairness. Always a firm republican, he reluctantly supported Pompey in the Civil War, but was pardoned by Caesar. He was not let into the plot against Caesar, but was in a sense its inspiration, being seen by now as a symbol of the republic. After Caesar’s assassination (44), he supported the young Octavian (the future emperor Augustus) and led the senate in its operations against Mark Antony. When Octavian and Antony formed the ‘second triumvirate’ with Lepidus in 43, Cicero was their most prominent victim; he met his end with great courage. Cicero’s speeches are models of eloquence and persuasion; and together with his letters they form the chief source for the history of the late republic. His philosophical treatises, written in periods when he was deprived of his political freedom, are the main vehicle by which Hellenistic philosophy was transmitted to the west. His prose style raised the Latin language to an elegance and beauty that was never surpassed. D. H. Berry is Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of Leeds. He has published an edition of and commentary on Cicero’s Pro Sulla (Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries, 1996) and a translation Cicero: Defence Speeches (Oxford World’s Classics, 2000), to which this book is a companion volume. He lives in Leeds and the Scottish Borders. oxford world’s classics For over 100 years Oxford World’s Classics have brought readers closer to the world’s great literature. Now with over 700 titles––from the 4,000-year-old myths of Mesopotamia to the twentieth century’s greatest novels––the series makes available lesser-known as well as celebrated writing. The pocket-sized hardbacks of the early years contained introductions by Virginia Woolf, T. S. Eliot, Graham Greene, and other literary figures which enriched the experience of reading. Today the series is recognized for its fine scholarship and reliability in texts that span world literature, drama and poetry, religion, philosophy and politics. Each edition includes perceptive commentary and essential background information to meet the changing needs of readers. OXFORD WORLD’S CLASSICS CICERO Political Speeches Translated with Introductions and Notes by D. H. BERRY 1 3 Great Clarendon Street, Oxford ox2 6dp Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in OxfordNew York AucklandCape TownDar es SalaamHong Kong Karachi Kuala LumpurMadrid MelbourneMexico CityNairobi New DelhiShanghaiTaipeiToronto With offices in ArgentinaAustriaBrazilChileCzech RepublicFranceGreece GuatemalaHungaryItalyJapanPolandPortugalSingapore South KoreaSwitzerland ThailandTurkey UkraineVietnam Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Published in the United States by Oxford University Press Inc., New York © D. H. Berry 2006 The moral rights of the author have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) First published as an Oxford World’s Classics paperback 2006 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Cicero, Marcus Tullius. [Speeches. Selections. English] Political speeches/Cicero; translated with introductions and notes by D. H. Berry. p. cm.––(Oxford world’s classics) Includes bibliographical references (p. ). 1. Cicero, Marcus Tullius––Translations into English. 2. Speeches, addresses, etc., Latin––Translations into English. 3. Rome––Politics and government––265–30 B.C.––Sources. I. Berry, D. H. II. Title. III. Series: Oxford world’s classics (Oxford University Press) PA6307.A4B474 2006 875′.01––dc22 2005020919 Typeset in Ehrhardt by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk Printed in Great Britain by Clays Ltd., St. Ives plc ISBN 0–19–283266–2 978–0–19–283266–5 1 To my father This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS Acknowledgements ix Abbreviations x Introduction xi Note on the Translation xxvi Note on the Latin Text xxxi Select Bibliography xxxiv Chronology xxxix Maps xli POLITICAL SPEECHES 1 In Verrem (‘Against Verres’) I 3 In Verrem (‘Against Verres’) II.5 30 De imperio Cn. Pompei (‘On the command of Gnaeus Pompeius’) 102 In Catilinam (‘Against Catiline’) I 134 In Catilinam (‘Against Catiline’) II 170 In Catilinam (‘Against Catiline’) III 181 In Catilinam (‘Against Catiline’) IV 193 Pro Marcello (‘For Marcellus’) 204 Philippic II 222 Explanatory Notes 271 Glossary 340 This page intentionally left blank ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This book has long been overdue to my patient publisher. That I have finally had time to write it, and with the care that it required, is due entirely to the generosity of two bodies: the University of Leeds, which granted me a University Study Leave Award in the Human- ities from September 2003 to January 2004, and the Arts and Humanities Research Board, which granted me a Research Leave Award from February to May 2004. I am deeply grateful to both of them for effectively giving me the year I needed to bring this project to completion. I am also grateful to Professor Andrew R. Dyck for letting me see his list of textual readings and his appendix on the date of In Catilinam I from his forthcoming Cambridge edition of the Catili- narians. It should perhaps be pointed out that I have not seen his edition and he has not seen this book; readers who use both works together will no doubt discover important differences of opinion between us. On the subject of editions, I should mention that I have profited enormously from those of W. K. Lacey, D. R. Shackleton Bailey, and, especially, J. T. Ramsey on the Second Philippic. If works of this quality were available for Cicero’s other speeches, my task would have been much easier––though also perhaps less necessary. I have often thought while writing this book how lucky I am to be able to read Cicero in Latin, and to have studied Latin continuously since the age of 9. It was my father who paid for my education, and it is therefore fitting that I dedicate this book to him, with love.

Description:
Cicero (106-43 BC) was the greatest orator of the ancient world and a leading politician of the closing era of the Roman republic. This book presents with nine of his speeches that reflect the development, variety, and drama of his political career. Among them are two speeches from his prosecution o
See more

The list of books you might like

Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.