Murder Trials (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Marcus Tullius Cicero (Author), Michael Grant (Translator, Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 1975 | ISBN-10: 014044288X | ISBN-13: 978-0140442885

Cicero's speeches "In Defence of Sextus Roscius of Amerina," "In Defence of Aulus Cluentius Habitus," "In Defence of Gaius Rabirius," "Note on the Speeches in Defence of Caelius and Milo," and "In Defence of King Deiotarus" provide insight into Roman life, law, and history.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin (translation)

About the Author

An accomplished poet, philosopher, rhetorician, and humorist, Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC-43 BC) was also the greatest forensic orator Rome ever produced. But to Cicero, service to the res publica (literally, "the public affair") was a Roman citizen's highest duty. At age 26 (in 80 BC), he successfully defended a man prosecuted unjustly by a crony of the bloodthirsty dictator Sulla. In 69 BC, he brought to order the corrupt Sicilian governor Verres. As consul in 63 BC, he put down the Catilinarian conspiracy; later, he was sent into exile for refusing to join the First Triumvirate. Late in life, he led the Senate's gallant but unsuccessful battle against Antony, for which he paid with his life on 7 December 43 BC.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (September 30, 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014044288X
• ISBN-13: 978-0140442885
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #312,842 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely worth reading, November 8, 2009

By 

Ryan C. Holiday (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Murder Trials (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

What makes Cicero's courtroom strategies so impressive is the fact that he never bothers to dispute the evidence against his clients. In both the defenses of Roscius and Cluentius, he doesn't even use a single witness. He doesn't offer contradictory evidence or waste much time with alibis. Instead, he focuses his entire arguments on the most critical part of the case - motive. In both trials he successfully creates such compelling versions of the events that all remaining details became irrelevant to a jury who believes there was no motive. His speeches are fantastic illustrations of a whole swath of Robert Greene's strategies in The 33 Strategies of War: Control the Dynamic, Weave a Seamless Blend of Fact and Fiction, Take the Line of Least Expectation and so on. Cicero's work is filled with so many applicable examples and fables and syllogisms and his name still carries such weight that I really leave each of his books with a ton of material I use for other things. This is one of those books. You should read it.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The real deal, November 9, 2006

By 

Dennis Bianchi (San Francisco, California USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Murder Trials (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

I purchased this in order to follow Cicero's career as it has been documented in somewhat recent fiction. It is always a very good idea to go to original sources and in this case the idea holds true. Since I don't read or understand Latin I was, of course, at the mercy of the translator, but the works seemed quite alive and will help someone who wants to see if the current fiction works about Cicero are accurate (see Robert Harris, for one). I'm sure my Roman History teacher re-reads these frequently.