Men of Letters: The Oratorical and Philosophical Relationship Between Cicero and Brutus

Abstract

The friendship between Cicero and Brutus, which has been largely untouched in scholarship, began around 51 B.C. when Cicero was governor in Cilicia, and continued until Cicero's death in December 43 B.C. Their relationship, like any other, had its points of harmony and departure. This dissertation explores their friendship and argues it was so strong at one point that Cicero saw Brutus as his oratorical and philosophical successor. Cicero dedicated no less than six treatises to Brutus in the years of Caesar's autocracy. Some of these treatises, such as the Brutus and the Paradoxa Stoicorum, also give Brutus credit for their inspiration. Since Brutus had a reputation as a respected philosopher, this dissertation argues Cicero wanted Brutus to become the oratorical leader for the future which he had been in the past. After Caesar's murder, however, with the rise of Antony and Octavian, Cicero and Brutus did not agree on how best to serve the Republic, and the few extant letters between them, the Epistulae ad Brutum, are filled with frustration.

This dissertation proceeds chronologically and can be divided into two halves. The first half, Chapters One and Two, deal with the oratorical relationship. Chapter One revisits the scholarly debate on Attic and Asianic orators, arguing against the common notion that Cicero and Brutus were at odds because of their chosen oratorical styles. Chapter Two focuses on the Brutus, and argues that Cicero discusses so many orators in order to demonstrate to Brutus the true power of oratory. The second half, Chapters Three and Four, discuss the philosophical aspect of their relationship. Chapter Three centers on Caesar's assassination, and draws attention to the philosophical justifications for such an act, which both Brutus and Cicero put forth. Chapter Four follows events after the Ides of March. While Cicero zealously wanted war against Antony and enfranchised Octavian, Brutus whole-heartedly disagreed and instead chose patience. Ultimately, however, the relationship between Cicero and Brutus helped each define his role in the final dramatic years of the Roman Republic.