Cicero: De Natura Deorum Book I, Book 1Book 1 of De Natura Deorum exhibits in a nutshell Cicero's philosophical method, with the prior part stating the case for Epicurean theology, the latter (rather longer) part refuting it. Thus the reader observes Cicero at work in both constructive and skeptical modes as well as his art of characterizing speakers. Prefaced to the Book is Cicero's most elaborate justification of his philosophical writing. The Book thus makes an ideal starting point for the study of Cicero's philosophica or indeed of any philosophical writing in Latin, since it delineates the problems such a project raised in the minds of Roman readers and shows how Cicero thought they could be met. There is also a systematic and detailed doxography of ancient views about the deity, an important document in itself, presented from an Epicurean perspective. The volume's Introduction situates this text within Cicero's intellectual development and ancient reflection about the gods. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Composition date change of plan | 2 |
The scene characters and fictive date | 5 |
The sources | 7 |
Language and style | 11 |
Influence through the centuries | 14 |
The text | 17 |
LIBER I | 23 |
Commentary | 54 |
Prose rhythm | 204 |
Abbreviations and References | 206 |
221 | |
227 | |
228 | |
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Common terms and phrases
alia Anaxagoras Anaximenes animi animo anthropomorphism argument Aristotle atoms atque autem Balbus beatus Carneades causa Chrysippus corpus Cotta Cotta's refutation criticism cult deity Democritus deos deum deus dialogue dicere divine doctrine doxography Dyck on Leg eius Empedocles enim Epicurean Epicurean gods Epicurus esset etiam forma haec homines hominum human ibid idem igitur illud ista Kleve Latin Lucr mente metaphorical mihi modo multa mundum natura deorum neque nihil nisi nobis nulla Obbink OLD s.v. omnes omni omnia omnino omnium Parmenides passage Pease PHerc Philippson Philodemus philosophical Phld Plato Posidonius possit potest primum Prodicus Protagoras Pythagoras quae quaedam quam quibus quid quidem quod quomodo ratio rerum sense sensu sententia similarly sine sint Skeptic Stoic sunt tamen theology TLL s.v. Tusc ueri uero uidetur uitae Velleius Xenophanes Zeno Zeno of Sidon καὶ