Marcus Tullius Cicero, De divinatione

François GUILLAUMONT (Université de Tours - François Rabelais)

Ed. by Sophia Papaioannou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.2: Ancient Roman Writing and Culture (Republic and Empire), -750-476.
Vol. editors: Anca Dan (École Practique de Hautes Études PSL), Martine Diepenbroek (University of Johannesburg), William John Dominik (University of Otago), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Victoria Fendel (University of Oxford), Thomas Habinek (University of Southern California), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Sophia Papaioannou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Guendalina Daniela Maria Taietti (University of Liverpool), Jula Wildberger (American University of Paris)

Domains

Philosophy (any)

Dates

First circulation or publication -44

Places

Ancient Rome (Republic & Empire) (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Dialogue

Resources

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Recommended Reading

The

De Divinatione

belongs to the several philosophical treatises Cicero (106-43 B.C.) composed at the end of his life, in the years 45 and 44 B.C. The particular treatise for its most part was written before Caesar’s death (15 March 44), at the end of 45 and the beginning of 44. After the Ides of March Cicero added a few passages and wrote the prooemium to the second book (Durand, 1903; Guillaumont, 2006, 26-33). Thus the

De Divinatione

was composed between the

De Natura Deorum

(

On the Nature of the Gods

, autumn 45) and the

De Fato

(

On Fate

, May-June 44). These three works together comprise a single unit: the question of divination is intimately connected with the questions of gods and fate.

Cicero defines divination, in Greek mantike, as “the foresight and knowledge of future

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1794 words

Citation: GUILLAUMONT, François. "De divinatione". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 March 2014 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13346, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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