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Primary sourceSpeech62 BCE

Pro Archia Poeta

Cicero · 62 BCE

Cicero's speech defending the poet Archias' citizenship, famous for its praise of literature and learning.

Cicero delivered this speech himself in defence of his former teacher Archias.

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Manuscript page in Latin with a decorated illuminated initial S in blue, pink and gold, red rubricated heading reading M. T. Ciceronis pro A. Licinio Archia, and handwritten black-ink text in columns with marginal annotations in red.
Cicero, Pro Archia Poeta, 15th-century Italian manuscript copy.

About this source

What it is

Pro Archia Poeta ("On Behalf of Archias the Poet") is a speech Cicero delivered in 62 BC defending his former teacher, the poet Aulus Licinius Archias, who was accused of falsely claiming Roman citizenship. The speech was rediscovered by Petrarch in 1333. The image shown is a page from a 15th-century Italian manuscript copy of the speech.

Why it matters

Beyond the legal case, the speech is famous for Cicero's eloquent defence of literature, learning, and the humanities as valuable to Roman culture. The trial may have been politically motivated, aimed indirectly at Archias' patron, the general Lucullus, possibly by his rival Pompey. The speech later became a standard Latin school text, shaping how generations learned both Latin and ideas about the value of culture.

Look closer

  • Why might Cicero choose to defend his old teacher using arguments about the value of poetry and learning?
  • What does the political background of the case suggest about the real motives behind the prosecution?
  • Why do you think this speech became such a popular text for later students of Latin?

This speech 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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Manuscript page numbered 169 in Latin, handwritten in brown ink with a decorated illuminated initial letter in the upper left in red, green, and blue with gold accents. The text begins with the opening words of Cicero's first Catilinarian oration, 'Quo usque tandem abutere...'.Speech

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