Abstract
Cicero’s last fight for the republic and against Antony has always attracted interest, philological as well as historical. The modern scholarship on the topic is extensive, however not focused on exploring the underlying motives for Cicero’s sudden action in the autumn 44 BC. This author will challenge the provocative and condemnatory view of Sir Ronald Syme, often taken at its face value without further reconsideration, by analysing Cicero’s thoughts during 44 of the republic, the conspirators, Antony and Octavian on both a practical and a theoretical level. By tracing these thoughts back to his earlier career a pattern of general notions on the republic and the duties of the statesman can be discovered and used to explain Cicero’s actions in 44 BC.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 287-319 |
| Number of pages | 33 |
| Journal | Classica et Mediaevalia: Danish journal of philology and history |
| Volume | 54 |
| Publication status | Published - 2003 |