753. Officium and Res Publica: Cicero’s political role after the Ideas of March by Henriette Van der Blom

753.  Officium and Res Publica:  Cicero’s political role after the Ideas of March by Henriette Van der Blom, Classica et Mediaevalia 54: 287-320.

Dear Sarah found this article for me.  I am so glad that I read it.  

This article is meant to correct the view of Sir Ronald Syme, et al. who argued that Cicero acted the way he did to counteract the humiliation of the past.

Cicero was glad at the death of Caesar, but felt the burden for pursuing what needed to be done should fall upon the conspirators.  He felt that he was too old and was not sure that he had the energy necessary for the task.  In fact he was on his way to see his son in Greece when he suddenly turned back.

This article focuses on:

1.  Cicero never believed that the Republic was dead.  He felt that with morality restored and traditional politics the Republic could live.

2.  Cicero felt that a senior statesmen had an obligation to influence the young, set an example and lead.

3.Cicero felt that a crisis allows drastic and even unconstitutional methods.

4.  Cicero felt that duty to country trumped everything else.

March 44 BC to August 44 BC

Here are Cicero’s perception of the events.

The conspirators had no plan whatsoever after the assassination of Caesar.  They felt that the Republic would right itself.  Thus he held back and waited for events to unfold.  He felt that an opportunity had been lost when he urged the assassins to call a meeting of the Senate immediately upon the attack on Caesar.

When Cicero saw the lack of plan among the conspirators, he gave oratory lesson and with this and conversations strove to influence Dolabella, Hirtius, Pansa and Plancus and others.

So Cicero supported the conspirators via letters, his example, and teaching.  He knew from his own life the benefit of association with his his mentors.  Octavian arrived on the scene.   Cicero did not trust him.  He did find him courteous.  But Cicero did not see where he was a major player.

So his disappointment in the conspirators and his assessment that nothing would happen until new consuls came into office, January 1, 43 BC, he decided to leave for Greece August 6.

The relationship between Cicero and Antonius

From April to August Antonius and Cicero had no open conflict until the fall of 44 BC.  But Antonius was not a personal friend. In fact there had been incidents where Cicero was not impressed with Caesar.  I.e. when Caesar sent Antonius to get Cicero to support Caesar.  The man, Cicero felt, was a brut.

But soon Cicero saw Antonius as tyrannical.  Why?

1. Taking money from temple of Ops on his own authority.

2. Enhancing his power in order to carry out acts of Caesar.

3. Visited Caesar’s troops in Campania- Cicero felt that this held ominous signs for what he intended.

4.  June 2 tribunician laws allowed Antonius to dump Macedonia and receive Gallia for 5 years with a land commission.

5.  Brutus and Cassius were given minor posts to rid himself of his rivals.

There were personality differences, too.  And intellectual differences.  Antonius was not refined and a poor writer.

September 44 to January 1, 43 BC

Cicero in action

Cicero returned to protect his dignitas and in the hopes that something could be done.  It seemed that Senators had found some backbone.  September 1 Antonius attacked Cicero for his absence.  At this point Cicero abandoned his silence and delivered Philippic 1 on September 2.  Cicero attacked Antonius’ policies but there was still room to remain political opponents.

Then September 19 Antonius severely attacked Cicero.  Now Cicero felt that the Republic had called him back with the winds.  The issue at hand was taking on a clarity which convinced Cicero that he must save the Republic.  But what did he have to oppose Antonius’ imperium?  Thus he felt forced to wait and see.

Then Cicero responded with Philippic 2.  This author thinks that it was never published.  This has never made sense to me.  He writes a masterpiece and puts it in a drawer?

The speech calls Antonius a Catiline, a Clodius, a bandit, etc.  But Cicero no sooner finished the 2nd Philippic and had finished two books of De Officiis.  This work is a clear call to people to rally to the Republic, revive traditions and take a stand.  The De Officiis represents Roman values had been trampled by Caesar and Antonius.  To Cicero Caesar was a belua, a monster. In the Philippic Cicero calls Antonius the same.  Remember that to Cicero nothing is more important than country.  So the fact that Caesar was a belua meant that it was proper for his friends to kill him.

By December 20, 44 BC the 3rd Philippic displays a tone quit different from the 1st Philippic.  What had happened?  Decimus Brutus had refused to hand over Gaul to Antonius.  Octavian gained influence and had raised an army.  Now there was something with which to oppose Antonius.

Cicero’s relation with Octavian

Cicero never trusted Octavian, as far as we know.  When Decimus opposed Antonius, Cicero felt that Octavian could be useful.

Cicero’s officium in the fight against Antonius

One must use extra-constitutional methods to save the Republic.  In the De Officiis he gave several examples:  Publius Sulpicius Rufus, Catiline, the Gracchi and Saturninus.

Cicero as optimus civis?

How well does Cicero’s theoretical view as a statesman match his conduct?

So what is the definition of a statesman?

The statesman is wise, virtuous, backed by philosophy, history, law, literature and experience.  These allow a statesman to preserve the state.  A statesman is not necessarily someone who hold office or is rich or famous but is someone who is an example for others to follow.

These ideas are reflected in the De Re Publica, De Legibus and Pro Sestio.

If law was crushed, a statesman had an obligation to follow natural law and do what was right.

The wise person realizes that the statesman stands as a go between between higher law and written law.  Why?  Because the safety of the citizens is the highest law.

Cicero- the ideal statesman

Cicero reacted the only way his definition of statesman would allow.  He did not trust Octavian but in that situation he was one of the only two tools at hand to defend the safety of citizens.

His letter to Atticus shows that he remained consistent to who he was and what he stood for.

There were two stages in his response.

1st stage

August 44 Cicero returned to protect his dignitas and attempted to remain out of the picture.  But the attack by Antonius and the ineffectiveness of the conspirators caused him to enter the fray.  As September came the hostility between Cicero and Antonius exploded.

2nd phase

November-December Cicero openly attacked Antonius.