pickThis was very interesting- I never knew that Cicero‘s life was that remarkable and went through significant ups and downs. He survived more than Roman dictator and tried to save the Republic. This is definitely a very detailed book. To listen to the audiobook while driving proved difficult sometimes because it was easy to miss information, so I had to listen to some chapters more than once. But it was worth it.
panRoman Blood follows Gordianus, a private eye in the Roman Republic, working on murder case. While the premise sounded intriguing, the book as a whole was a disappointment for me. It was slow, and there were lots of chapters that did nothing to further the plot. Many historical details were weaved into the story, but these couldn't save it for me personally, and I lost interest in both the whodunit part and the characters' fates.
pickHis various letters are illuminating, his Philippic against Antony is furious & damning, and his expositions on Duties & Old Age are still relevant today. The style in his written letters & essays may be more accessible to modern readers than his speeches, which can get long in the tooth. But stick with it. As a window into Ancient Rome & into the mind of the most celebrated orator of his time, his insight is still penetrating & meaningful.
"Life's course is invariable - nature has one path only, and you cannot travel along it more than once. Every stage of life has its own characteristics: boys are feeble, youths in their prime are aggressive, middle-aged men are dignified, old people are mature. Each one of these qualities is ordained by nature for harvesting in due season." - from On Old Age
"Consider the paradox of a person who admits the wickedness of tyrannizing a country....but who nevertheless sees advantage in himself becoming its tyrant if he can....Who, in God's name, could possibly derive advantage from murdering his country? Of all murders that is the most hideous...even when its perpetrator is hailed, by the citizens he has trodden underfoot, as 'Father of his Country'."
"So everyone ought to have the same purpose: to identify the interest of each with the interest of all. Once men grab for themselves, human society will completely collapse."
"...neglect of the common interest is unnatural, because it is unjust... nature's law promotes and coincides with the common interest."
So even in Cicero's day, "competition [was] the law of the jungle, but cooperation [was] the law of civilization." (Pyotr Kropotkin)
"For honesty is not particularly virtuous when there is no one with the ability or ambition to corrupt it."
❤️ Hugs from my daughter. Chocolate is also nice 🍫
❤️ ❤️ tagged. This trilogy has both platonic and romantic love.
@TheSpineView #Two4Tuesday
