Introducing Cicero

Book excerpt: This anthology is designed to meet the needs of Latin students today, acknowledging present constraints on their study-time. It adopts the authors' approach of their "Ecce Romani" series. To enable students to read Latin reasonably quickly, generous assistance is given with vocabulary and explanatory notes placed next to the Latin text. The meaning of difficult sentences and phrases is usually explained by literal translation rather than complex grammatical explanation, though reference is frequently made to the authors' modern grammar book "The Latin Language". An 'overview' technique helps students unravel complex sentences. Extracts are drawn from Cicero's speeches, letters and philosophical writings, thus illustrating his mastery of styles. They are also chosen to provide an interesting contemporary view of a highly significant phase of Roman history, and linked by simple historical background notes. 'Points for Discussion' highlight stylistic features, showing how Cicero's thinking on moral and social issues remains relevant to modern times.