Other source: Cicero’s letters

The other source that here I want consider is a other historical source, always considered marginal and alone occasionally considered, this is the letters, that can be familiar, or politic or formal and other gender; I want consider alone those familiar and of an author, Marco Tullio Cicerone(b.Ch.106-43), that he has written to familiars, the mean of the word familiar we must consider in acceptation Latin language, because in Latin the family was very extensive, and it enclosed also the friends, beyond the sons and daughters also the servants, when Cicero has written to some body that isn’t his familiar, we must think that also these friends were familiar. In fact a first letter he has written to Mark Terence Varrone(b.Ch.116-27), and Cicero want that he arrives to Rome: “To these letters by you written has informed me Atticus(b.Ch.109-32), I known that what you are making and where you stayed: when we can meet you I could not certainly understood. I come with hope that near is your arrive, that is to me support! Although we are fought from very much griefs, that nobody, if isn’t stupid, he must hope comfort…hence you must know that after I had gone back to Rome, I have been retied the old friendships(I want mean the books…”; a note that is important for to understand the context: the Cesar by now has almost took the absolutely power in Rome with Pompeo and Crassus in year 60 b.Ch.; and Cicero was a convinced republican and in fact he was exiled from Caesar to Cilicia because he was an political enemy, official motive was the condemn to capital pain of Catilina without proofs, Caesar got profit from this strategy for a law that a tribune of people Publio Clodio Pulcro that proposed the exile of Cicero for this condemn, and Cicero gone to exile in year 58 b.Ch.; but very anomalous that of same party was also Caesar, therefore we can imagine very easy that Caesar asked this law so that Cicero was remove from Rome; inasmuch we can think that Caesar have thought already the grant of absolutely power, not certainly in the form, but in essence, hence the enemy as Cicero have to be removed, and we can think, or we must think that the almightiness of Caesar was very symbolic because he certainly could, but to fear an orator, without weapons and armies would be useless, but the tongue of Cicero was very pitiless and Caesar can become victim of this tongue, he has had a power very extraordinary, but he known also the power of judge od important man as Cicero; these are alone conjectures but neither if today Caesar was live he would confess it, anyway we can hypothesize something. The validity of my consideration is manifest for the words of Cicero: “To these letters by you written has informed me Atticus, I known that what you are making and where you stayed: when we can meet you I could not certainly understood”; Cicero has known the position and the duties of Varrone through a letter of Atticus, that has informed Cicero, and for us the letters of Cicero are a source and for him the letter of Atticus was it, hence the letters were other source. The attention of Cicero to morality, and to other opinion is manifest in this letter: “Hence who of the victory are boast almost seen us as we are wined. Who that not bore our have been wined, to them dislike that we are life”; this step could be very low important, instead it is very important because it shows the attention of Cicero to other opinion, and therefore manifest also the weakness of Cicero, because his roll in the Roman society was relevant, and he considered the opinion, that is a sign of weakness, and it is shows also that opinion of Cicero for himself wasn’t so high, because who has dread of other opinion has deeply unfaith to himself. The proof of this my opinion is in following step: “Truly to me from sometime is in the brain to be right thing go out from some town for my will and neither consider nor hear what is said and make…”; it is natural for Cicero, because his roll is very important for Rome, or may Cicero isn’t so sure that his roll is so important for Rome and empire? May Cicero has a side, very short, of unsureness for himself? I think that it is so, because he could must it, because the question, or better, the other opinions aren’t importance, but evidently as every weak Cicero hided himself behind his fame and political roll, but he was an unsure. The truth of my opinion, this is that then letters are also personal documents is in following step, where Cicero describes himself: “I these suspects in my wit turning, against stay in Rome, and although with time the inure has already got the habit to my bilious wit”, it is a confession of Cicero about his character, hence a confession of his wit, and the valor of device of confession is in following words: “To you I manifest these sentiment.”; in confidence to Varrone that evidently known very well Cicero he could give these confessions. The admiration of Cicero for the ancient knowledge is in this step: “If nobody of our work emerges, nonetheless we are convinced write and read about ideas of public govern: and to give to Republic service, if not it possible to curie and forum, at last for the studies in the books, as the much knowledge have made and make explication about the customs and laws. For me it is right. It is going to be very like if you will write what is your fell.”; political faith of Cicero is in the step that mentions the Republic, for this he was against Caesar, because he has though that Caesar wanted become imperator.

Alessandro Lusana