Cicero's Orations

Marcus Tullius CiceroProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.6

Word count: 91K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Cicero's Orations by Marcus Tullius Cicero. Author: Cicero, Marcus Tullius, 106 BCE-43 BCE. Language: Latin. Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature. Release Date: Mar 1, 1995

Editor's review

This electronic text gathers Cicero's orations in the original Latin and belongs to the category of classical languages and literature. Cicero's speeches are at once a direct record of political and judicial life in the late Roman Republic and model texts of Latin rhetoric, valuable as samples of periodic sentence structure, layered argument, and emotional progression. For readers, their value lies not in plot-driven reading but in the close observation of how an orator organizes the middle sections, mobilizes emotion, and responds to opponents in specific settings. It suits Latin intensive-reading courses, classical rhetoric research, or thematic study of Roman history, and also advanced learners who wish to feel the rhythm of Latin in the original. A caution: this is the original text, not a bilingual or annotated edition, and lacks vocabulary lists and background notes, so beginners may struggle with allusions and political context. It is best treated as a corpus and historical source to revisit rather than a popular text to read straight through.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Classical language learners with some Latin who wish to read the original closely
Readers in history specializing in the political and judicial oratory of the late Roman Republic
Upper-level students studying rhetoric and argument structure and persuasion strategies
Language enthusiasts who wish to experience the rhythm of Latin prose in the original

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners with no Latin hoping for an easy introduction to Cicero's thought
General readers expecting a modern translation or a bilingual annotated edition
Casual readers who only want to learn Roman history through popular stories

Reading tips

Begin with a shorter speech, look up words and read closely paragraph by paragraph, then review the overall structure.
Read alongside background material on the late Roman Republic to reduce contextual barriers.
Keep a notebook of recurring rhetorical devices and set expressions for cross-comparison.
Read aloud to feel the rhythm of Latin syntax, then return to analyze how the argument advances.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Does this book include a modern Chinese or English translation?

According to the information, this is an electronic text of the original Latin and no translation or bilingual text is indicated. If you need translation support, prepare a reliable translation to read alongside rather than expecting this book to provide one.

Can I read this book without any Latin?

The barrier to entry is high. The original has no vocabulary list or grammatical notes, and beginners will find it hard to proceed on their own. A safer approach is to first learn basic Latin grammar, or start with a bilingual annotated edition and then return to the original.

In what order should these speeches be read?

The information gives no suggested order of the speeches. A practical approach is to start with shorter pieces with clearer background, get familiar with Cicero's sentence patterns and argumentative habits, and then move on to longer speeches with more complex political contexts.

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About the author

Marcus Tullius Cicero Author · Roman Republic

Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BCE–43 BCE) was a Roman statesman, orator, philosopher, and jurist. He served as consul and foiled the Catilinarian conspiracy in the late Republic, and was killed in 43 BCE for opposing Antony. A prolific author, he wrote on philosophy, rhetoric, and letters; this collection holds 22 of his works, including De Officiis, the Tusculan Disputations, the Academic Questions, and De Finibus, as well as numerous speeches and letters to Atticus. His orations are tightly argued and forceful, his philosophical writings render Greek thought in Latin, and his letters are natural and intimate, preserving valuable historical and intellectual records. Cicero is regarded as a model of Latin prose, and his style and vocabulary have profoundly shaped the European prose tradition.