2.6 Cicero as Correspondent: letters

• How did Cicero refer to Caesar in his letters, following Caesar's victory at Munda?

  As rex
• Cicero wrote over 900 letters
• Groups of Cicero's letters

  • Letters that were political and intended to be public
  • Letters that were personal to his friends
• Collections of Cicero's letters

  • Epistulae ad Atticus
  • Epistulae ad Familiares
• Letter writing strengthens amicitia
• Cicero's strengths

  • His oratory and his literary skill
• Cicero uses his oratory and literary skill to develop amicitia


  He can't rely on his family name, money, or command of legions
• Atticus was Titus Pomponius Atticus
• Atticus was born


  110BC
• Atticus was contemporary of Cicero
• Atticus was given the name Atticus because of his love for Athenian and Greek culture
• Cicero and Atticus were lifelong friends
• Atticus chose not to get involved with Roman politics
• Atticus was a businessman and supporter of Cicero
• The amicitia between Cicero and Atticus was made more formal by the marriage of Cicero's brother, Quintus, to Atticus' sister, Pomponia
• Atticus' policy of diplomacy and political abstention allowed him to enjoy a nice life until his death in 32 BC
• Many nuances of literary style in Cicero's letters are lost in translation
• Cicero enjoyed using Greek quotations in his letters
• Cicero tended to avoid literary techniques when writing serious political letters
• Letters studied


  • To Pompey
  • To Atticus
  • To Curio
  • To Caelius
  • To Caesar
  • To Trebonius
  • To Plancus
• Pompey was fighting a war against Mithradates in 62BC in Asia
• Pompey had acquired a massive amount of land and wealth
• Letters mentioned


  • To Caelius
  • To Caesar
  • To Atticus
  • To Trebonius
  • To Plancus
• Pompey is fighting a war against Mithradates in 62BC
• Pompey is in Asia
• Pompey has acquired a massive amount of land and wealth for Rome
• Lands acquired by Pompey for Rome

  • Asia Minor
  • Syria
  • Crete
• Cicero just finished being consul in Rome where he put down and dealt with the Catiline conspiracy
• Pompey has basically won the war
• Cicero is desperate to be friends with Pompey and have amicitia with him
• Pompey is the most famous/dominant man in Rome
• Cicero needs amicitia with Pompey to develop his own career
• The letter is designed to build a relationship between Cicero and Pompey
• The letter is a reply to a letter Pompey sent Cicero
• Pompey supposedly was a little fed up at Cicero’s focus on his own achievements rather than Pompey’s
• Pompey possibly felt resentment at Cicero’s opposition to the land reform bill of Rullus which would’ve benefited Pompey’s veterans
• Pompey may need Cicero’s friendship for political support
• The Optimates are sad Pompey has won the war
• The Optimates thought Pompey would fail
• Cicero expects Pompey to be congratulating him on saving Rome from the Catiline Conspiracy