Cicero

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Marcus Tullius Cicero was ancient Rome’s greatest trial lawyer. He usually spoke for the defense but in 70 BC, at a key point in his career, he prosecuted a former governor of Sicily, Gaius Verres, for abusing the justice system, unauthorized taxation, and theft of artworks. In this class, we will read in Latin the concluding part of Cicero’s published speech against Verres, paying close attention to Cicero’s rhetorical techniques. We will also study how Cicero put his case together and how Rome’s criminal courts functioned. The class is planned to include a meeting with a federal prosecutor and we will consider similarities and differences between the Roman and American legal systems.