Pro Lege Manilia. Pro Caecina. Pro Cluentio. Pro Rabirio Perduellionis Reo

Pro Lege Manilia. Pro Caecina. Pro Cluentio. Pro Rabirio Perduellionis Reo by Cicero offers a remarkable insight into the life and times of Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BCE), a prominent Roman lawyer, orator, politician, and philosopher. Cicero's life spanned an era of significant change, witnessing the rise, dictatorship, and ultimate assassination of Julius Caesar amidst a crumbling republic.

Through his political speeches and extensive correspondence, we gain a vivid glimpse into the excitement, tension, and intrigue of Roman politics, alongside the crucial role Cicero played during this tumultuous period. Of approximately 106 speeches attributed to him, whether delivered before the Roman populace or the Senate in political settings, or before jurors in judicial contexts, 58 have survived — some of them only in fragments.

In the fourteenth century, Italian humanists like Petrarch unearthed manuscripts revealing more than 900 letters, with over 800 penned by Cicero himself and nearly 100 addressed to him by others. This correspondence provides a particularly candid portrait of the man, as most of these letters were not originally intended for publication.

Alongside these writings, six rhetorical works endure, one more survives in fragments, and his philosophical contributions include seven major extant compositions, with several others lost over time. Cicero’s literary output also encompasses poetry, some original and some as translations from Greek works.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of Cicero is a comprehensive collection spanning twenty-nine volumes.