The Story
The private correspondence of Romes most prolific public figure.To his dear friend Atticus, Cicero reveals himself as to no other of his correspondents except perhaps his brother. In Ciceros Letters to Atticus we get an intimate look at his motivations and convictions and his reactions to what is happening in Rome. These letters also provide a vivid picture of a momentous period in Roman history, years marked by the rise of Julius Caesar and the downfall of the Republic.When the correspondence begins in November 68 BC, the 38yearold Cicero is a notable figure in Rome: a brilliant lawyer and orator, he has achieved primacy at the Roman bar and a political career that would culminate in the consulship in 63. Over the next twentyfour yearsuntil November 44, a year before he was put to death by the forces of Octavian and Mark AntonyCicero wrote frequently to his friend and confidant, sharing news and views and discussing affairs of business and state. It is to this corpus of over 400 letters that we owe most of our information about Ciceros literary activity. Here too is a revealing picture of the staunch republicans changing attitude toward Caesar. And taken as a whole the letters provide a firsthand account of social and political life in Rome.D. R. Shackleton Baileys authoritative edition and translation of the Letters to Atticus is a revised version of his Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries edition, with full explanatory notes.
Description
The private correspondence of Romes most prolific public figure.To his dear friend Atticus, Cicero reveals himself as to no other of his correspondents except perhaps his brother. In Ciceros Letters to Atticus we get an intimate look at his motivations and convictions and his reactions to what is happening in Rome. These letters also provide a vivid picture of a momentous period in Roman history, years marked by the rise of Julius Caesar and the downfall of the Republic.When the correspondence begins in November 68 BC, the 38yearold Cicero is a notable figure in Rome: a brilliant lawyer and orator, he has achieved primacy at the Roman bar and a political career that would culminate in the consulship in 63. Over the next twentyfour yearsuntil November 44, a year before he was put to death by the forces of Octavian and Mark AntonyCicero wrote frequently to his friend and confidant, sharing news and views and discussing affairs of business and state. It is to this corpus of over 400 letters that we owe most of our information about Ciceros literary activity. Here too is a revealing picture of the staunch republicans changing attitude toward Caesar. And taken as a whole the letters provide a firsthand account of social and political life in Rome.D. R. Shackleton Baileys authoritative edition and translation of the Letters to Atticus is a revised version of his Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries edition, with full explanatory notes.
