To his friends 5.7: To Pompey Flashcards
Name of letter
To his friends 5.7: To Pompey
to
pompey
date
62BC
Context - cicero
- Cicero had been consul the previous year and dealt with the Cataline conspiracy.
- High point in his life, given title ‘pater patriae’ by Cato.
- This was him as a Novus Homo being accepted into the Optimates
Context - pompey
- Finishing his campaign in the East where he held imperium against Mirthridates
- Incredibly successful, fought and defeated Mirthridates
- Completely reorganised the east
- Defeated pirates in the Meddiatarian
Paragraph one
- Cicero is flattering and praising Pompey.
- Congratulates him for defeating Mirthridates and organising a buffer between two empires
- He warns him of Crassus and Caesar, trying to put a wedge between them.
- Forsees the coming together of the Triumvirate
- He asks why he did not praise him enough in his private letter
- Says that even if they can’t rebuild their amicitia with Kindness, they should at least do it for the state
Paragraph two
- Says again that he expected Pompey to congratulate him on his achievements.
- Brags about what he has done for the country
Compares him to world famous Scipio Africans Roman general and consul who defeated Hannibal in the Second punic war, 202 Bc - Says he is even better than him, flattering him and praising him in a way he would appreciate (military)
- Saying he will be his Laelius ( a roman friend who was a good friend of Scipio)
- You can’t have a soldier without having a wise advisor
quote about first triumvirate
your old enemies - now posing as your friends’
quotes about cicero and pompous relationship
‘the interests of the state certainly create a mutual attachment and coalition between us’
‘both for the sake of the ties between us and that of the republic’
‘you - a much greater man than Africanus was - will find it easy to admit me - one who is not much inferior to Laelius - into association in politics and friendship’
quotes about ciceros attention seeking
‘The private letter to me contained a somewhat slight expression of your affection, yet i can assure you it gave me pleasure’
‘i did expect some congratulation in your letter on my achievements, both for the sake of the ties between us and that of the republic
‘what i did for the salvation of the country is approved by the judgement and testimony of the whole world’
quotes showing Cicero’s personality
‘there is however nothing in which i find greater satisfaction than in the knowledge of serving my friends’
aims of the letter
- Rebuild amicitia does it through Roman history, praises him
- To be praised
