First published -70
This collection presents the courtroom career of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Rome's most celebrated advocate. The speeches span nearly four decades, from his defense of young Sextus Roscius against patricide charges to his representation of King Deiotarus, accused of plotting Caesar's assassination. Cicero built his reputation through cases like those of Cluentius and Rabirius, arguing on grounds of human decency and moral compassion. His clients typically won acquittal, even when their innocence remained questionable. These legal arguments reveal the machinery of Roman justice, the violence plaguing provincial communities, and the social fabric of the late Republic. Cicero's oratory captures a world where law intersected with politics, where rhetoric could mean the difference between life and death, and where a skilled advocate's words carried the power to reshape both individual fates and public opinion.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, crime, law, ancient-history, academic, classical-studies, legal-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: courtroom-drama, historical-figures
Setting: Rome
Period: Late Roman Republic
368 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics