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Primary sourceBookc. 54–51 BC

De re publica

Cicero · c. 54–51 BC

Cicero's dialogue on Roman political theory and the ideal mixed constitution, written in the 50s BC and later partly lost.

Cicero's own political dialogue, expressing his vision of the ideal Roman constitution.

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Manuscript page of Latin text in dark brown ink on yellowed parchment, with a faded underlying script visible in the lower layer. Stained and darkened areas across the page, a palimpsest with the upper text dominant.
Cicero, De re publica, fragment (palimpsest). Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Ms. Vat. Lat. 5757.

About this source

What it is

This is a philosophical dialogue written by Cicero between 54 and 51 BC, exploring Roman constitutional theory through a conversation led by the statesman Scipio Aemilianus. Much of the text was lost; what survives comes from later quotations and an incomplete palimpsest found in 1819, now held in the Vatican Library.

Why it matters

Modeled on Plato's Republic, this work shows how Cicero idealized the traditional Roman Republic and its mixed constitution at a time when it was under serious strain. Cicero's choice to write in dialogue form, using historical figures instead of naming contemporaries, let him comment on current politics indirectly.

Look closer

  • Why might Cicero have set his dialogue in the past rather than writing in his own voice?
  • What does it mean that this text survives only in fragments, written over earlier erased text (a palimpsest)?
  • How might Cicero's own political anxieties have shaped his idea of the 'ideal' Roman state?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Cicero on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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