Marcus Tullius Cicero, De Re Publica [On the State]

Thomas Reginald Stevenson (University of Queensland)

Ed. by William John Dominik, University of Otago
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

Political Philosophy

Dates

First circulation or publication -54 - 51

Places

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

Genres and Modes

Dialogue

Resources

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Recommended Reading

Cicero's

De Re Publica

, one of his most famous philosophical works, is written predominantly as a dialogue, which supposedly took place over three days in 129 BCE. The setting is the garden of Scipio Aemilianus (consul 147, 134) at the time of the Latin Festival (

De Re Publica

. 1.14), a few days before Aemilianus' death (Cicero,

On Friendship

14). The principal speakers are Aemilianus and his great friend Gaius Laelius (consul 140), but there are other nobles present and these men contribute at various intervals (Keyes 1928: 3; Lintott 2008: 232).

The work, comprising six books, was begun in 54 and finished in 51 BCE (Keyes 1928: 2-3). Aemilianus and his friends discuss the ideal form of state and the ideal statesman. The discussion connects regularly with the form and history of the

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1687 words

Citation: Stevenson, Thomas Reginald. "De Re Publica". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 02 July 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13350, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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