academica of cicero. - 912 Freedom Library

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much feel the need of any speculative system; while the general decay among the educated
classes of a belief in the supernatural, accompanied as it was by an increase of superstition
among the masses, prepared the way for the acceptance of a purely mechanical explanation of the
universe. But of this subject, interesting and important as it is in itself, and neglected though it
has been, I can treat no farther.
These Roman Epicureans are continually reproached by Cicero for their uncouth style of
writing [116] . He indeed confesses that he had not read them, but his estimate of them was
probably correct. A curious question arises, which I cannot here discuss, as to the reasons Cicero
had for omitting all mention of Lucretius when speaking of these Roman Epicureans. The most
probable elucidation is, that he found it impossible to include the great poet in his sweeping
condemnation, and being unwilling to allow that anything good could come from the school of
Epicurus, preferred to keep silence, which nothing compelled him to break, since Lucretius was
an obscure man and only slowly won his way to favour with the public.
In addition to his desire to undermine Epicureanism in Italy, Cicero had a patriotic wish to
remove from the literature of his country the reproach that it was completely destitute where
Greek was richest. He often tries by the most far-fetched arguments to show that philosophy had
left its mark on the early Italian peoples [117] . To those who objected that philosophy was best left
to the Greek language, he replies with indignation, accusing them of being untrue to their
country [118] . It would be a glorious thing, he thinks, if Romans were no longer absolutely
compelled to resort to Greeks [119] . He will not even concede that the Greek is a richer tongue
than the Latin [120] . As for the alleged incapacity of the Roman intellect to deal with
philosophical enquiries, he will not hear of it. It is only, he says, because the energy of the nation
has been diverted into other channels that so little progress has been made. The history of Roman
oratory is referred to in support of this opinion [121] . If only an impulse were given at Rome to
the pursuit of philosophy, already on the wane in Greece, Cicero thought it would flourish and
take the place of oratory, which he believed to be expiring amid the din of civil war [122] .
There can be no doubt that Cicero was penetrated by the belief that he could thus do his country a
real service. In his enforced political inaction, and amid the disorganisation of the law-courts, it
was the one service he could render [123] . He is within his right when he claims praise for not
abandoning himself to idleness or worse, as did so many of the most prominent men of the
time [124] . For Cicero idleness was misery, and in those evil times he was spurred on to exertion
by the deepest sorrow [125] . Philosophy took the place of forensic oratory, public harangues, and
politics [126] . It is strange to find Cicero making such elaborate apologies as he does for devoting
himself to philosophy, and a careless reader might set them down to egotism. But it must never
be forgotten that at Rome such studies were merely the amusement of the wealthy; the total
devotion of a life to them seemed well enough for Greeks, but for Romans unmanly, unpractical
and unstatesmanlike [127] . There were plenty of Romans who were ready to condemn such
pursuits altogether, and to regard any fresh importation from Greece much in the spirit with
which things French were received by English patriots immediately after the great war. Others,
like the Neoptolemus of Ennius, thought a little learning in philosophy was good, but a great deal
was a dangerous thing [128] . Some few preferred that Cicero should write on other subjects [129] .
To these he replies by urging the pressing necessity there was for works on philosophy in Latin.
Still, amid much depreciation, sufficient interest and sympathy were roused by his first
philosophical works to encourage Cicero to proceed. The elder generation, for whose approbation
he most cared, praised the books, and many were incited both to read and to write
philosophy [130] . Cicero now extended his design, which seems to have been at first indefinite, so
as to bring within its scope every topic which Greek philosophers were accustomed to treat [131] .
Individual questions in philosophy could not be thoroughly understood till the whole subject had
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