Marco Tulio Cicero was the most famous roman orator and one of the most recognized names in history. Today he died, quite badly, in the year 43 BC. C. I highlight 3 fragments of his works more famous like the speeches of the Catilinaries, On rhetoric y About the republic. By the way, more than one contemporary native politician should read Cicero from time to time.
Cicero and I
My love-hate story with Cicero it goes back almost to their Roman Republic times when I was studying Latin in high school and college. My life then was a continuous commentary on text and translations of The Gallic War of his contemporary and nothing friend Julius Caesar. And in college it was his turn and his famous Catilinaries with the Latin teacher more scoundrel who ever stepped on a classroom.
But regardless of my troubles with the ablative absolute, Cicero's life and work is one of the most fascinating of that time. To take a look at one of the last revisions of his figure, although under the protection of narrative and television fiction current, always I recommend Rome, the most excellent series of the HBO.
3 fragments of his work
Chosen of the most famous like politician, rhetorician and philosopher.
Catilinaries I
How long, Catilina, will you abuse our patience? How long must we still be the plaything of your fury? Where will the outbursts of your unbridled daring stop? What! Have not your audacity restrained neither the guard that watches all night on the Palatine Hill, nor those that protect the city, nor the terror of the people, nor the concurrence of all good citizens, nor the fortified temple in which the Senate stands? meets today, nor the august and indignant faces of the senators?
Have you not understood, are you not seeing that the conspiracy has been discovered? Don't you see that your conspiracy is not a secret for anyone and that everyone already considers it chained? What you have done last night, the men you have gathered, the measures you have agreed with them, do you think these are things ignored not even by one of us? Oh times! Oh customs!
De republica - About the republic
«Given my situation, I have been able to enjoy leisure and obtain more fruits from it than others, because of the variety of studies that have been my delight since childhood (…) But with everything, I I did not hesitate for a moment to expose myself to the harshest storms, and I would say that even in lightning, to save my fellow citizens and assure everyone the others, without sparing any danger, a quiet life.
Because this country has not engendered and educated us without counting on us, in turn, to contribute to their subsistence; not only by serving our interests does it offer us a safe haven for our leisure and a quiet place for our rest; on the contrary, she must retain for her use the greater part of our soul, our ingenuity, our wisdom, leaving for our private use what remains after taking her part.
De rhetoric - On rhetoric
«The middle speaker, which I call moderate and temperate, by only equipping his forces sufficiently, will not fear the ambiguous and uncertain chances of eloquence; Even if you are not very successful, as is often the case, you will not be in great danger, however; for it cannot fall from very high.
But this speaker of ours, to whom we accord the primacy, who is serious, impetuous, ardent, if he was born for this alone, or in this he has only exercised, or to this he has only applied himself, without tempering his abundance with the other two styles , deserves the utmost contempt. Well simple speaker, because he speaks with precision and seniority, is already sensible, the average speaker, pleasant; but this other very abundant, if it is nothing more than that, it usually seems hardly sane».