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Reden gegen Verres 6. Zweite Rede gegen C. Verres. Fünftes Buch.
Cicero's fifth speech against Verres was never actually delivered but is nonetheless a carefully crafted piece which shows all the vigour of Cicero's oratory at its height. Levens' extensive introduction, dealing with all aspects - historical, legal, and oratorical - of the trial of Verres, his meticulous commentary and full vocabulary, all serve to make this an excellent edition for high school and undergraduate students.
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First published September 27, 2006
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About the author
Marcus Tullius Cicero
8,049 books1,961 followersBorn 3 January 106 BC, Arpinum, Italy
Died 7 December 43 BC (aged 63), Formia, Italy
Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. Cicero is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.
Alternate profiles:
Cicéron
Marco Tullio Cicerone
Cicerone
Note: All editions should have Marcus Tullius Cicero as primary author. Editions with another name on the cover should have that name added as secondary author.
Died 7 December 43 BC (aged 63), Formia, Italy
Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. Cicero is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.
Alternate profiles:
Cicéron
Marco Tullio Cicerone
Cicerone
Note: All editions should have Marcus Tullius Cicero as primary author. Editions with another name on the cover should have that name added as secondary author.
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June 18, 2023
This is the fifth of five speeches that Cicero wrote as part of his prosecution of the corrupt Roman governor of Sicily known as Verres (which means “wild boar” in Latin). It seems to be the only case where Cicero was the prosecutor. He usually preferred to be counsel for the defence, and several of his speeches on behalf of defendants have been published by Bristol Classical Press. He got involved in this case because he had served as quaestor in Sicily a few years earlier and the people of Sicily trusted him to champion their cause.
I first heard of the speeches against Verres years ago and I’ve read one book analysing Cicero’s motives for conducting the prosecution and the rhetorical trickery he uses in the speeches. However, getting hold of the speeches themselves is no easy task. I think the Loeb Classical series has all five. This book has the text for the fifth speech, which was never actually delivered. In fact, Cicero only delivered the first two speeches. The editor, RGC Levens, explains the difficulties Cicero had in getting the case into court. Cicero had gone to Sicily to find witnesses and the defence had done everything possible to prevent them coming to Rome. Then they had tried to postpone the hearing for as long as possible. When the hearing did eventually take place, Cicero didn’t have time to present the full case as he originally intended. He could only present the gist of it in two short speeches. The other three speeches were published later as if they had been delivered.
Part of the fun in reading the speech is imagining the impact that some of the more amusing parts would have had on the jury and spectators. There are plenty of amusing parts because Cicero uses bucketloads of his sardonic humour in describing Verres’ greed, lust, cowardice and sheer laziness. He had a taste for other men’s wives, money and valuables. Also public treasures as he had no qualms about helping himself to the contents of the many wealthy temples in Sicily. However, there is also plenty of horrific stuff here, including the execution of a bunch of young Sicilian men that Verres managed to scapegoat for a naval defeat that he was largely responsible for. According to Cicero, Verres also used torture and execution against Roman citizens when it suited his needs. Unfortunately, the court that is trying Verres is only empowered to try him for corruption and theft, not for murder, though Cicero warns at the end of the speech that he has options to prosecute Verres for other offences elsewhere, i.e. before the people.
It's all very complicated but the reader of this edition has the benefit of a comprehensive introduction by Mr Levens, along with detailed notes that explain grammatical issues, Cicero’s use of rhetorical figures and the complicated legal issues underpinning the speech. Mr Levens also did an extensive vocabulary. My only quibble about this edition is that the introduction and notes were produced in 1946 and that’s a long time ago now. I’m sure that Ciceronian studies have advanced since then and it is a pity that the publishers haven’t yet commissioned an updated edition. That is the case with many of the Latin texts that they publish, which is a pity. Despite that, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Roman history – or in Cicero specifically. I find him politically irritating but still a fascinating character, with a wicked sense of humour and probably by the standards of the first century BCE, a decent enough bloke.
I first heard of the speeches against Verres years ago and I’ve read one book analysing Cicero’s motives for conducting the prosecution and the rhetorical trickery he uses in the speeches. However, getting hold of the speeches themselves is no easy task. I think the Loeb Classical series has all five. This book has the text for the fifth speech, which was never actually delivered. In fact, Cicero only delivered the first two speeches. The editor, RGC Levens, explains the difficulties Cicero had in getting the case into court. Cicero had gone to Sicily to find witnesses and the defence had done everything possible to prevent them coming to Rome. Then they had tried to postpone the hearing for as long as possible. When the hearing did eventually take place, Cicero didn’t have time to present the full case as he originally intended. He could only present the gist of it in two short speeches. The other three speeches were published later as if they had been delivered.
Part of the fun in reading the speech is imagining the impact that some of the more amusing parts would have had on the jury and spectators. There are plenty of amusing parts because Cicero uses bucketloads of his sardonic humour in describing Verres’ greed, lust, cowardice and sheer laziness. He had a taste for other men’s wives, money and valuables. Also public treasures as he had no qualms about helping himself to the contents of the many wealthy temples in Sicily. However, there is also plenty of horrific stuff here, including the execution of a bunch of young Sicilian men that Verres managed to scapegoat for a naval defeat that he was largely responsible for. According to Cicero, Verres also used torture and execution against Roman citizens when it suited his needs. Unfortunately, the court that is trying Verres is only empowered to try him for corruption and theft, not for murder, though Cicero warns at the end of the speech that he has options to prosecute Verres for other offences elsewhere, i.e. before the people.
It's all very complicated but the reader of this edition has the benefit of a comprehensive introduction by Mr Levens, along with detailed notes that explain grammatical issues, Cicero’s use of rhetorical figures and the complicated legal issues underpinning the speech. Mr Levens also did an extensive vocabulary. My only quibble about this edition is that the introduction and notes were produced in 1946 and that’s a long time ago now. I’m sure that Ciceronian studies have advanced since then and it is a pity that the publishers haven’t yet commissioned an updated edition. That is the case with many of the Latin texts that they publish, which is a pity. Despite that, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Roman history – or in Cicero specifically. I find him politically irritating but still a fascinating character, with a wicked sense of humour and probably by the standards of the first century BCE, a decent enough bloke.
Displaying 1 of 1 review