The Dregs of Romulus. Stoic Philosophy in Cicero’s Pro Murena and De Oratore

Abstract

The dregs of Romulus reviews the evidence for Cicero’s attitude toward Stoic philosophy in the speech pro Murena, in letters of 61-60 referring to Cato, and in de oratore. None of these texts expresses any direct opposition to the core postulate of Stoic ethics, viz., that only what is honorable is good for a human being. What we do find in this group of works is a concern that adherence to a dogmatic system of ethics (1) impedes political communication, and (2) strips away the flexibility of application that is required for moral decision-making in complex situations. Cicero’s own stance as a philosophically trained politician is defined accordingly. The dregs of Romulus reviews the evidence for Cicero’s attitude toward Stoic philosophy in the speech pro Murena, in letters of 61-60 referring to Cato, and in de oratore. None of these texts expresses any direct opposition to the core postulate of Stoic ethics, viz., that only what is honorable is good for a human being. What we do find in this group of works is a concern that adherence to a dogmatic system of ethics (1) impedes political communication, and (2) strips away the flexibility of application that is required for moral decision-making in complex situations. Cicero’s own stance as a philosophically trained politician is defined accordingly.