first two cicero letters Flashcards
to Pompey, Fam. 5.7
Context of 62 BC:
The years 59 and 60 BC constitute a decisive stage in the break up of the Republic and the removal of the great families, and the senate, from the control of events. For the stronger men of the day, Pompey, Caeser and Crassus, now cameb to an unofficial understanding, know to us as the first triumvirate, by which they took it upon themselves to make important decisions - working together and employing their power to reduce the Republican institutions to subserviance.
Context behind Letter:
The letter was written in the summer of 62 BC. It was sent to Pompey who was in Asia at the time whilst Cicero was in Rome. The significance of the letter is that in the following year after his consulship, Cicero writes ahead of Pompey’s return to Rome (having acquired huge swathes of territory for the Roman state, including Asia minor, Syria and Crete,) and mentions his involvement in the Cataline conspiracy. The themes evident in this letter are:
Cicero and Pompey relationship
Appeal to shared love of Rom
Amicitea
The letter was in response to a brief letter from Pompey in which he had said littler to Cicero about his consulship the previous year. Pompey had triumphed Asia at the time, and many have judged the letter he presumably sent to Cicero to be harbouring resentment to CIcero’s fixation with his own success. (particularly regarding the Cataline conspiracy,} and perhaps at Cicero’s opposition to the land reform bill of Rullus, which would have benefitted Pompey’s veterans. It is ab excellent example of the role of letters being used in attempting to forge new ties, building amicitea from relatively little common ground.
What is Cicero trying to say?
He wants Pompey’s friendship.
Literary devices?
The plentiful use of first abd second person’s pronouns throughout the text succeeds in bringing Cicero and Pompey together if only in abstract’ the reference to Pompey’s letter allows Cicero too demonstrate that he is building upon some element of friendship that has already been encouraged by Pompey. Cicero appeals to Pompey’s love of Rome and care for the welfare of state to form an alliance with him. Cicero - the great orator - needed association with the hero of the hour - Pompey - with his military brilliance and popular backing, To that end, and with Pompey far away from Rome, only a letter could build successful channels of communication.
to Atticus, Att. 2.18
Context of 59 BC:
After Cicero had declined to associate himself with the new order, the triumvirs in their turn - including, to his great disappointment, Pompey - proved unwilling or unable to save him from his enemies and from the consequences of his eliminations of Catalines supporters (p60). The young political gangster, Publius Clodius, of a great family with a traditional tase’encanailler, ‘revenged a personal grudge against Cicero’ by securing the passage of a law punishing by exile or execution anyone who should condemn, or had condemned, a Roman citizen to death without trial. Cicero fled from the capitol, and was shortly after sentenced to exile, his residence at Rome was confiscated, and his house destroyed.
In the years to come CIcero’s relationship with his wife Terentia became colder - he found her too independant financially (accusing her of ruining him for her own profit) and she may also have wished himt o show greater tolerance of Caeser; he therefore divorced her in 46 BC. Though he appreciated a female friend, Caerilla (from who he borrowed money) .
Context behind letter:
It is addressed to Atticus on. his way to Epirus whilst Ciciero was in Rome. It is an informal letter.
What is Cicero trying to say?
The significance of the letter is that Cicero explains how, at the time of the establishment of the first triumvirate he had been approached by Caeser to join them, and he turned them down. Themes of:
Disimpowerment if the senate and the people
Libertas
Struggle to match his political ideas with practices
Cicero - Atticus friendship
In 59 BC, when the first triumvirate was established and CIciero was upset by the paralysing effect it had on the workings of the senate, he wrote this letter in distress to Atticus. The repetition of the verb in the first person gives immediately a sense of openness - Cicero is at a loss of what to do. The language is unambigious, direct and heartfelt. The language appears devoid of conciously turned stylish flourished and the contents stands in stark contrast to many of his letters in which he readily gives advice or judgement. Such intimate informality appears to portray a vulnerable Cicero only to be found in his letters to close personal friends.
In this letter Cicero also mourns the servitude that all were living in due to the arrangement of the triumvirs to allocate extraordinary power to themselves without recourse to the senate: ‘there is no hope of the magistrates, or indeed private citizens, ever being free”
