Med äran i behåll Gloria och Virtus i Ciceros tal mot Antonius

Abstract

This essay, by applying principles derived from the thought of Quentin Skinner, explores the Roman concepts of gloria and virtus in the prose literature of the late Roman Republic, primarily in the writings of (in order of importance) Cicero, Sallustius and Caesar, with particular attention in the analysis given to Cicero’s orations against Antonius, the Philippics. While the concept of virtus is generally acknowledged to be a national virtue of the Romans, this essay argues that gloria is of paramount importance in the mind of the most prolific prose writer of the late Republic, and that it is viewed by Cicero in his last struggle against Antonius as the desired end above all others, resulting from the exercise of virtus for the benefit of the Republic. Considerable attention is given to the self-image and worldview of the Roman nobility, in light of which the shadowy outlines of our central concepts are brought forward