Cicero: Selected Works (4P)

In many ways Cicero can be considered the greatest ancestor of the whole modern liberal tradition in Western life and his incomparable oratory and writings have profoundly influenced the development of European prose. His eloquence was his weapon in a dangerous, shifting and brutal world and flawed as he was, often vain, extravagant and vacillating he stood firm again the autocratic factions which were threatening the Republic. Grant`s excellent introduction describes the social and political background and sets this selection of speeches and letters in their context. Soft 272p