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ESTIMATION OF CICERO.
taking Cicero for their guide. Towards the end of the
eighteenth century a reaction took place; Eonian literature
began to be neglected, in proportion as the study of Greek
struck root, and during the first decennium of our century that
tendency continued to increase. At that time it was painful
to a lover of Cicero to see even scholars of distinction treat him
as utterly contemptible, especially on account of his philoso-
phical writings, which were decried as ludicrous gossip. That
time has fortunately passed away, and I believe that at present
the value both of Greek and Roman literature is, on the whole,
correctly estimated. The attention which has of late been
bestowed upon Roman history, has been followed by a more
accurate estimate of the value of Roman literature. With
regard to Cicero as an author I cannot say anything better
than Quintilian, that the pleasure which a man takes in the
works of Cicero is the standard by which we may estimate his
own intellectual culture.9 Cicero’s style was not, however,
altogether perfect. His early works, especially his celebrated
orations against Verres, contain passages which are entirely
unworthy of him, and are pure Asiatic declamations, which he
himself afterwards censured in his maturer work, “ Brutus.”
His latest productions, on the other hand, contain no symptoms
of old age, they are not stiff, and no one can say that he had
sunk. His genius was in its bloom at the period about his
praetorship and consulship. This, however, was followed by
a time of great depression, which lasted until his return from
exile. The most distinguished of his orations after his return
is that for Caelius. The orations delivered when Caesar was
at the head of affairs must not be judged of too severely ; we
have to take into consideration the pressure of circumstances.
The second Philippic, I think, has been estimated too highly
by all rhetoricians. In his vehemence Cicero here exaggerates,
though this was not his natural disposition, which was, on the
contrary, mild and benevolent. There were some persons
whom he hated; but at heart he was thoroughly benevolent.
His death is for us the last event of that unhappy year, in
the course of which Brutus and Cassius established their power
in the East. Brutus had made himself master of Macedonia,
and was recognised by the legions. Dolabella, who had gone
to Syria, was pursued by Cassius. His legions deserted him,
β Quinctilian, xi. 1, § 71.
THE WAR OE PHILIPPI.
99
and he was obliged to surrender at Laodicea, where he lost his
life. Dolabella as consul suffectus had thrown down Caesar’s
statue, and afterwards in Asia killed Trebonius, who having
before been one of Caesar’s friends, was certainly one of the
most guilty among his murderers. Cassius was still very
popular in Syria, from the time of the Parthian war : the
legions declared for him, and all Syria submitted to his
authority. In this manner Brutus and Cassius were, at the
end of the year, masters of Macedonia, Achaia, and Asia; in
short, of all the countries east of the Adriatic, as far as the
frontiers of Egypt, while Rome was the scene of fearful pro-
scriptions. C. Antonius, the brother of the triumvir, was a
prisoner of Brutus, in Macedonia, and when the news of the
proscriptions arrived, he was put to death.
LECTURE CIL
The unfortunate issue of the war of Philippi shews what the
ancients call the irresistible power of fate, against which all
human devices turn into misfortunes. What we call chance,
or accident, had here the most lamentable influence. The
long expeditions, for example, of Brutus and Cassius in Asia,
though they were of some immediate advantage to them, since
they afforded them opportunities for recruiting their exhausted
means, and training their troops, were followed by most un-
fortunate consequences.1 Had they been in Macedonia and
Greece, they might have rendered it impossible for the triumvirs
to assemble their masses and to land; they might have com-
pelled them to march round the Adriatic and through Illyri-
cum, whereby they would have had great advantages on their
side. The commanders of the fleet of the patriots, Statius
Murcus, and Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus, who were stationed
in the Illyrian sea, appear to have neglected nothing ; but fate
was against them likewise: the winds were favourable to the
1 I here ɪ)a,`s over the manner in which Brutus chastised Xanthus in Lycia
and in -which Cassius conquered Rhodes, for these events belong to the later
history of Greece.—N. bee Appiau, De Bell. Cml. iv. 65—81.
H 2