An Attack on an Enemy of Freedom

by Marcus Tullius Cicero, Michael Grant (translator)

Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

Amongst the most famous and influential of all political polemics, Cicero's scathing speeches against the dictatorial ambitions of Mark Antony are the passionate last testament of the greatest statesman of his age; a final attempt to restore his beloved Republic that was to cost him his life.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, History, Politics, Classics, Ancient History, Biography

93 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 44

About the author

Born 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.

Reviews

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cicero’s speeches are searing exemplars of how to verbally skewer, throw shade, and generally lay the smackdown rhetorically. Further, his courage in highlighting Anthony’s corruption, hypocrisy, and general incompetence is remarkable: he knew that such honesty would almost guarantee his assassination.

However, for anyone who is not a classicist, this edition is sparse on context. I would have appreciated richer footnotes to contextualise some of the contents, for example a brief explanation on Roman religious and political titles that are consistently referenced.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEAUTIFUL. Beautiful book with some of the best rethorics I have read in my life. Honestly, it made me want to live in ancient Rome so I could watch and listen Cicero talk for hours.

[Aziff · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my final annotation to An Attack on an Enemy of Freedom, I wrote: BURN.

After such an incisive, eloquent and probing speech by Cicero, I imagined a mic drop. With Mark Anthony shifting uncomfortably in his seat, exposed for the scoundrel that he is. Sadly, history isn't as so - since Cicero's head was swiftly called for afterwards and Mark Anthony's son rising up to be the next dictator of Rome.

Without understanding the historical context, An Attack on an Enemy of Freedom would be slightly more difficult to understand. But here's all you need to know before embarking: both Mark Anthony and Cicero were political rivals, and these series of speeches followed the assassination of Julius Caesar (masterminded by Mark Anthony). It was this moment in history that moved Rome into an autocracy.

While we may miss out on the context (I did, for most parts), the speeches are still a delicious read and the accusations Cicero throws to Mark Anthony made me laugh at times, wondering how the general could defend himself against a man who knew his deepest darkest secrets.

Moral of the story: be careful who you make your enemies in politics.

[FM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing collection of political rhetoric, brilliant and acute in form.
there are some critics of the lack of historical context, which reduces our capacity to understand how sound and founded the critics were. That is a fair point. Nevertheless, I would argue that there is unparalleled value in the way Cicero built the arguments. His reference to principles (or the lack of them) and the impact of abandoning these principles in the daily life of an empire is a lesson for today's politics and social confusion.
I will invite everybody to read the book in his or her actual context. I will not be astonished if most of the underlying ideas resonate in many of our social debates today

[Mario Periago · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfecto libro si se quiere ver un ejemplo de excelente oratoria. Aunque para mí gusto le falta una introducción que de contexto a lo que se dice en los discursos.

[themoonalsoreads]

Cicerone è una drama queen

[RASKOLICA · Rating 3 out of 5]

extremely shady and hilarious.
too bad he got assassinated for this

[Fabian Mora · Rating 3 out of 5]

ENTRE CHISME Y RETÓRICA
Fuera de contexto, esto parece puro chisme, pero tomando en cuenta la rivalidad política que prevaleció entre Cicerón y Marco Antonio, estas filípicas constituyen un intento desesperado del primero por defender su amada República que estaba ya agonizando, aunque para ello tuvo que dirigir apasionados y mordaces ataques en forma de discurso al segundo. Al final, tanto la República como Cicerón iban a morir; Roma se convertiría en un Imperio, y el orador sería proscrito y ejecutado: "una vida que, de conservarla, me entregaría a todo tipo de angustias, y que, de perderla, me liberaría de todas las preocupaciones".

Es interesante que ante lo que sería la postura de Maquiavelo siglos más tarde, la de Cicerón es que "ser temido y merecer el odio es repugnante, despreciable, estúpido, pasajero". Para el orador romano, siempre la paz era lo deseable: "cualquier paz me parecía preferible a una guerra civil entre ciudadanos", "la paz es una libertad en calma, la esclavitud el más doloroso de todos los males y debe ser rechazado no sólo a costa de una guerra, sino de la propia vida".

Tal vez no he apreciado los suficiente la retórica con la cual Cicerón construyó sus discursos, dentro de todas las acusaciones de los actos deleznables cometidos por el cónsul y futuro triunviro: "Debo hablar brevemente en mi propia defensa, pero largamente contra de Marco Antonio". Finaliza la segunda filípica con lo siguiente: "Dos deseos únicamente expreso: el primero, que al morir abandone un pueblo romano libre; el segundo, que cada uno obtenga lo que merece de acuerdo con sus servicios a la República".

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some context would've been great, but I enjoyed the speeches a lot.

[Molsa Roja(s) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pensava que no m'agradaria, que tot això tan romà de militarisme i homenots m'esgota, però el cert és que el discurs de Ciceró és magnífic com a dispositiu de destrucció absoluta de Marc Antoni... que tot i això, sembla no haver canviat res. En certa mesura, és una mostra del que porta passant mil•lenis: la intel•ligència no és rival per a l'estupidesa conjugada amb la força bruta. I el poder és qüestió, en massa ocasions, d'un retórcer els altres.

[Stephane · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with many other books in this series, it would gain greatly from having context and some basis on the reason why this text is important today as it was when it was first written. Without this important context, the reader is left with an angry screed, a put down of one's enemy and no real understanding of what is being said.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fire. This book is passion. This book's foundation is virtue. Cicero at his most brilliant and most unfiltered. Takes politicians to task with a IDGAF attitude and dares them to check him. I was very inspired reading this and wished this much honesty, bravery and virtue was present in today's governments.

[Santiago González · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poco se puede decir de una de las más grandes obras de la historia que le causó la muerte a uno de los más grandes hombres de la historia. Hay Filípicas más logradas que otras pero son un testimonio de valor incalculable, llenas de convicción, significado, calidad y valor histórico. Recomendadas siempre que se tenga un contexto.

[Gareth Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find it utterly amazing that I can read Cicero’s speech to the senate denouncing Mark Antony as a usurper of the Republic. A passionate, detailed deconstruction of Antony’s failings. Perhaps part propaganda but certainly a powerful example of a speech swaying its audience - as a result, the Senate declared Antony an enemy of the state! Not that this stopped him.

[Danny R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una lectura bastante tediosa, aunque interesante.

[Aamina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, hilarious and politically scathing. Devoured within an hour. Thoroughly enjoyed.

[Adam]

He just really hates the guy! unreal

[Lina P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es difícil hacer pausas por el género (oratoria). Invita a investigar el contexto narrado por otros autores sobre ese episodio específico.

[Irina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was this too risky? Yes
Did it cost him his life? Yes
Should it happen more often in modern politics? Also yes.

"Try to make your brain work for a moment, as if you were sober"

[Matías Bonilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesante y hermoso.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent orations. Historically influential and informative of the time.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have loved to give this book four stars. The tragic appeal of, perhaps, the Roman Republic's last true guardian is heart wrenching. Unfortunately, as with many of the penguin great idea books, absolutely no context is given to the reader. I read this in order to compliment my reading of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar - which it did - so I was fortunate enough to find myself easily engaged with material I would otherwise find extremely boring. This book specifically highlights Cicero's final speech defaming Antony from a collected works called Philippicae, and honestly, the other 13 works from Philippicae should have been included. Nonetheless, this was a great excerpt from a major historical document and I'm glad to have read it.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

After Caesar's famous end Antonius, one of his stooges, carries on a semi-Civil war against the State and the senatorial party that assassinated Julius. Cicero lays out the arguments for the validity of the war against Antonius, who still had plenty of supporters both in the Senate and among the Roman legions. Interesting stuff, and often stirring invective against forces of would-be-limiters of a free state.

I tried comparing the warring factions involved in this volume of Cicero to the Barksdale organization's demise in the television show The Wire to my wife, but she still didn't seem interested.

[Sunny · Rating 1 out of 5]

not very impressed with this at all but i guess you had to know a bit about what was going on at the time. its 2 speeches (i think) which cicero gives against Mark Anthony. nothing overly interesting in them to be honest. cicero talks about how Mark's decadadent lifestyle may have tainted the impeccable image that rome had built up; inter alia. its only 100 pages ish but really couldnt get through it as quick as some of the other books from this series.

[Diego Arguelles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the discourse is quite exquisite, I'm afraid the same cannot be said of the editorial work for this edition. A more robust body of footnotes, foreword and other references would help the reader become more familiar with the context and characters involved throughout the speech.

[for-much-deliberation ... · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourteen speeches or philippics made by Cicero in condemnation of Marcus Antonius... such occured after the assasination of Caeser when Cicero had become a rather populer leader of that time...

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short book relating speeches that Cicero gave in the Roman Senate.

[Fredrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kjedelig.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff. I can imagine the Senators rolling in the aisles

[Daniel Wright]

Philippics, 1 and 2.