Cicero's Letter To Quintus Essay

Trevor Jackson Dr. Jack Wells HIST 322-01 22 April 2024.

Paper Two: Reading 4 and 13 of Cicero’s Letter to Quintus.

Marcus Tullius Cicero was a man of philosophy and rhetoric. In the first letter, the Roman age was in a bit of a pickle in the middle of the brutal rivalry between Clodius and Milo. Clodius exiled Cicero before and was to exile him again, but Milo brought him back from exile. It was a time of chaos and disaster throughout the Roman Empire. In the second letter, Marcus informs and perhaps reminds his brother Quintus of how to look out for himself after being given the right to have a third term in the province of Asia. We will explore these letters more thoroughly, Rome’s State, Reputation, Staying Face, and how credible the

was a hellhole to be seen. Marcus, however, was back from his exile. In Kaegi, it says he was recalled in 57 B.C. He was recalled by Milo, who needed Cicero during this grueling time. As Kaegi mentions, there was a rivalry between Milo and Clodius. Kaegi Jr., 82, of 82. This first letter seemed written to give Quintus, Cicero’s brother, a recap of all that’s happening on the mainland. Considering he is away in Sardinia, as Cicero informs us. Kaegi Jr., 85, of San Francisco, Calif. Cicero’s concern about the situation, even though he is back from exile, is shown through this text. He is avoiding being exiled again since it is easier to exile him since there are no other credible people in the Cicero family other than him and his brother himself. No prior family has put their reputation within his and his brother’s hands, which leads up to our next

Even though he’s putting all the weight on Quintus’s shoulder it’s to secure the reputation they want. An example of this is, “But while you resist, as you do, money, pleasure, every kind of desire yourself, there will, I am to be told, be a risk of your not being able to suppress some fraudulent banker or extortionate tax collector!”(Kaegi Jr. 152). He adds a slight remark like, “As you do,” which seems to keep his brother from being angry with him as some sort of staying in a good light. While staying in this good light, he then gives him useful advice, instead of just giving the advice, he adds on the compliment to soften the blow. Then Cicero adds many more compliments throughout the letter, even on the same page. Cicero says, “It is a splendid thing to have been three years in supreme power in Asia without allowing statue, picture, plate, napery, slave, anyone’s good looks, or any offer of money, all of which are plentiful in your province, to cause you to swerve from most absolute honesty and purity of life.” (Kaegi Jr. 152). This seems to contradict his advice because Quintus is already doing such a thing as avoiding all of these desires. Simply complimenting him to not anger him as a result. Cicero does this as he compliments through each set of advice to sugarcoat it a little to have his brother still be in his favor while being far away. It seems