3 h 51 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Can a state be strong if it is not just?
In a garden, Scipio Aemilianus and leading Romans gather to discuss what holds a state together. Marcus Tullius Cicero sets their conversation in an earlier generation, while his own Rome faces pressure from powerful generals. Through their debate, The Republic of Cicero asks what government owes its people—and what citizens owe their country.
Scipio compares monarchy, aristocracy and democracy, then turns to Rome’s history to make the case for mixed government. Justice, education and the character of leaders all enter the discussion. The work survives only in pieces, but its questions remain clear: who should rule, what makes authority rightful, and how can a republic endure?
What you’ll discover
- A state that belongs to people Begin with res publica, the idea of a republic as the thing of the people.
- The search for lasting government Explore why Scipio looks beyond rule by one, a few, or all.
- Rome as a living argument Follow Scipio into Roman history as he explains how a mixed constitution grows.
- Justice beneath political power Consider whether a state can stand without justice at its foundation.
- The Dream of Scipio Encounter a closing vision of the heavens that connects public service with its reward.
Who will love it
For readers who love political philosophy, Roman history, and the roots of ideas about law and rights. It also suits anyone who enjoys hearing a statesman explore justice, government, and what citizens owe their country.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A republic belongs to its people
- Mixed government keeps states stable
- Rome grew great through many hands
- Justice is the foundation of the state
- The ideal statesman guides and protects
- The Dream of Scipio and the reward of service
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La République de Cicéron
by Cicéron
In a Roman garden, Scipio and his friends debate whether a state can be strong without being just.
Challenging2–5 hours to read25 languages
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In short
The Republic is a dialogue written by Marcus Tullius Cicero between about 54 and 51 BC. Cicero was a lawyer, orator and former consul, and he wrote it while Rome's old system of government was coming apart under the pressure of powerful generals.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A republic belongs to its people
Cicero opens the debate through his main speaker, Scipio. The Latin phrase for a republic, res publica, means the thing of the people. Scipio explains that a people is not just any crowd. It is a group joined by agreement about what is right and by a shared interest.
This definition does real work. A state is not simply whatever a ruler controls. If a tyrant holds power and the citizens have no common law or common good, then, Scipio says, there is no true republic at all. There is only a mass of people under one man's will.
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What is Cicero's Republic about?
It is a dialogue about the best form of government, the nature of justice and the duty of citizens. Speakers in 129 BC discuss Roman history and political theory, ending with a vision of the heavens.
Who are the speakers in Cicero's De Re Publica?
The main speaker is Scipio Aemilianus, joined by his friend Laelius and others such as Philus, Manilius, Scaevola and Rutilius. Cicero chose real Romans of an earlier generation to give the debate weight.
Is Cicero's Republic a complete book?
No. It had six books, but large parts are lost. A manuscript found in the Vatican Library in 1819 restored much of it, and other passages survive as quotations by later writers.
The author
Marcus Tullius Cicero
106 BC–42 BC · Roman statesman, orator and philosopher
Roman statesman, lawyer, orator, and philosopher.
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