Introduction to Cicero
Read lightly adapted selections from Cicero's speeches. Analyze periodic sentences, rhetorical questions, and anaphora. Understand how Cicero's style differs from Caesar's in structure and emotional register.
A lesson of Latin A2 — Elementary, in Reading Latin A2, about 10 minutes.
By the end of this lesson, you will read adapted passages from Cicero's In Catilinam, identify periodic sentence structure, anaphora, and rhetorical questions, and contrast Cicero's style with Caesar's.
Cicero vs. Caesar: Two Latin Styles
| Feature | Caesar | Cicero |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence length | Medium, clear | Long, periodic — verb often at the very end |
| Tone | Objective, military | Emotional, persuasive |
| Vocabulary | Simple, direct | Varied, rhetorical |
| Word order | Moderate | Deliberately suspended |
| Purpose | Historical narrative | Persuasion and argument |
Both are classical Latin. Caesar is easier to parse; Cicero rewards patience.
The Periodic Sentence
Cicero's hallmark is the periodic sentence: the main verb and main idea are withheld until the very end, creating suspense. Every subordinate clause builds expectation.
Example from the Catilinarians (adapted):
Si nunc, Catilina, te interfici iussero, erit verendum mihi, opinor, ne non hoc potius omnes boni serius a me quam quisquam crudelius factum esse dicat.
This sentence holds its meaning in suspension until the final word. Work through it by:
- Finding the conditional (si): "if I order you to be killed now"
- Finding the main verb: erit verendum = "it will be a thing to be feared for me"
- Parsing the ne result clause last
Adapted Reading: In Catilinam I.1
Quo usque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? Quam diu etiam furor iste tuus nos eludet? Quem ad finem sese effrenata iactabit audacia?
Rhetorical Questions
All three sentences are rhetorical questions — Cicero answers none of them. They build emotional intensity through repetition of structure.
| Latin | Translation |
|---|---|
| Quo usque tandem | How long at last / How far finally |
| abutere | will you abuse (= abuteris in classical spelling) |