academica of cicero. - 912 Freedom Library
academica of cicero. - 912 Freedom Library
academica of cicero. - 912 Freedom Library
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law, and asks the people on whom they would rely if Pompey, with such gigantic power<br />
concentrated in his hands, were to die, the people answer with one voice "On you [217] ." He alone<br />
was bold enough to rebuke the follies, on the one hand, <strong>of</strong> the mob, on the other, <strong>of</strong> the<br />
senate [218] . In him no storm <strong>of</strong> danger, no favouring breeze <strong>of</strong> fortune, could ever inspire either<br />
fear or hope, or cause to swerve from his own course [219] . His influence, though he be dead, will<br />
ever live among his countrymen [220] . He was not only glorious in his life, but fortunate in his<br />
death [221] .<br />
Apart from Cicero's general agreement with Catulus in politics, there were special causes for his<br />
enthusiasm. Catulus was one <strong>of</strong> the viri consulares who had given their unreserved approval to<br />
the measures taken for the suppression <strong>of</strong> the Catilinarian conspiracy, and was the first to confer<br />
on Cicero the greatest glory <strong>of</strong> his life, the title "Father <strong>of</strong> his country [222] ." So closely did Cicero<br />
suppose himself to be allied to Catulus, that a friend tried to console him for the death <strong>of</strong> Tullia,<br />
by bidding him remember "Catulus and the olden times [223] ." The statement <strong>of</strong> Catulus, <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
referred to by Cicero, that Rome had never been so unfortunate as to have two bad consuls in the<br />
same year, except when Cinna held the <strong>of</strong>fice, may have been intended to point a contrast<br />
between the zeal <strong>of</strong> Cicero and the lukewarmness <strong>of</strong> his colleague Antonius [224] . Archias, who<br />
wrote in honour <strong>of</strong> Cicero's consulship, lived in the house <strong>of</strong> the two Catuli [225] .<br />
We have seen that when Cicero found it too late to withdraw the first edition <strong>of</strong> the Academica<br />
from circulation, he affixed a prooemium to each book, Catulus being lauded in the first,<br />
Lucullus in the second. From the passages above quoted, and from our knowledge <strong>of</strong> Cicero's<br />
habit in such matters, we can have no difficulty in conjecturing at least a portion <strong>of</strong> the contents<br />
<strong>of</strong> the lost prooemium to the Catulus. The achievements <strong>of</strong> the elder Catulus were probably<br />
extolled, as well as those <strong>of</strong> his son. The philosophical knowledge <strong>of</strong> the elder man was made to<br />
cast its lustre on the younger. Cicero's glorious consulship was once more lauded, and great stress<br />
was laid upon the patronage it received from so famous a man as the younger Catulus, whose<br />
praises were sung in the fervid language which Cicero lavishes on the same theme elsewhere.<br />
Some allusion most likely was made to the connection <strong>of</strong> Archias with the Catuli, and to the<br />
poem he had written in Cicero's honour. Then the occasion <strong>of</strong> the dialogue, its supposed date,<br />
and the place where it was held, were indicated. The place was the Cuman villa <strong>of</strong> Catulus [226] .<br />
The feigned date must fall between the year 60 B.C. in which Catulus died, and 63, the year <strong>of</strong><br />
Cicero's consulship, which is alluded to in the Lucullus [227] . It is well known that in the<br />
arrangement <strong>of</strong> his dialogues Cicero took every precaution against anachronisms.<br />
The prooemium ended, the dialogue commenced. Allusion was undoubtedly made to the<br />
Hortensius, in which the same speakers had been engaged; and after more compliments had been<br />
bandied about, most <strong>of</strong> which would fall to Cicero's share, a proposal was made to discuss the<br />
great difference between the dogmatic and sceptic schools. Catulus <strong>of</strong>fered to give his father's<br />
views, at the same time commending his father's knowledge <strong>of</strong> philosophy. Before we proceed to<br />
construct in outline the speech <strong>of</strong> Catulus from indications <strong>of</strong>fered by the Lucullus, it is necessary<br />
to speak <strong>of</strong> the character and philosophical opinions <strong>of</strong> Catulus the elder.<br />
In the many passages where Cicero speaks <strong>of</strong> him, he seldom omits to mention his sapientia,<br />
which implies a certain knowledge <strong>of</strong> philosophy. He was, says Cicero, the kindest, the most<br />
upright, the wisest, the holiest <strong>of</strong> men [228] . He was a man <strong>of</strong> universal merit, <strong>of</strong> surpassing worth,<br />
a second Laelius [229] . It is easy to gather from the De Oratore, in which he appears as an<br />
interlocutor, a more detailed view <strong>of</strong> his accomplishments. Throughout the second and third<br />
books he is treated as the lettered man, par excellence, <strong>of</strong> the company [230] . Appeal is made to<br />
him when any question is started which touches on Greek literature and philosophy. We are<br />
especially told that even with Greeks his acquaintance with Greek, and his style <strong>of</strong> speaking it,<br />
won admiration [231] . He defends the Greeks from the attacks <strong>of</strong> Crassus [232] . He contemptuously<br />
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