Customer Reviews

Cicero: De re publica: Selections (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics)

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Zetzel provides us with the Latin text of a significant portion of Cicero's partially preserved dialogue on the nature and the forms of government. His (Zetzel's) commentary, by far the bulk of this book, guides any Latin reader through Cicero's text and philosophy without giving away too much in translation. The niceties of the grammar are generally overlooked for comments on Cicero's style and political ideas. This would not make an ideal textbook, but a careful instructor can find much to illustate Cicero's Stoic approach to the ideal state.

In particular, Zetzel provides us with the Dream of Scipio- a very manageable Latin text from a student's perspective, but also loaded with pre-Christian ideas of the afterlife and the proper exercise of virtue. I ordered this book for the latter reason, but found myself drawn into reading the entire selection without regret. For that specialized audience of Latin readers who are interested in the Stoics, Cicero, and Roman political theory, this is a good bet.