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They were meant to be heard, not read :) Also, some effect is lost in the translation as well. Cicero's letters were meant to be read, I suggest you try them.
by simplegeek 3y ago
They were meant to be heard, not read :)
Also, some effect is lost in the translation as well.
Cicero's letters were meant to be read, I suggest you try them. They kind of feel monotonous at times, but it's hard to ignore how good a writer he was.
- thom 3y agoOh I've read all of Cicero, I find him fascinating. He's the most online person I've come across in antiquity - the exact combination of haughtiness and crippling anxiety you see daily on Twitter. I find him equal parts contemptible and pitiable, similar to Pompey in some ways. But however effective some of his speeches were, a lot of the content was unhinged invective. Obviously we're missing a lot of Demosthenes and Aeschines too - the former's physical gestures, the latter's actorly delivery. You can kind of feel the way Demosthenes hammers his point home, the monotony has a point. It's just surprising when you first come across it - this is the purported height of oratory, and instead of soaring, it's incredibly functional.