CICERO,.

Familiar Epistles.

London: Edward Griffin , 1620.

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“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly": Rare First Edition of Cicero's Familiar Epistles

First edition of the very scarce first complete translation into English of all 16 books of Cicero's familiar epistles, with engraved title page. Twelve mo, bound in contemporary calf. In very good condition with light browning and wear. With the engraved armorial bookplate of Richardi Iervoise of Wiltshire.

Roman philosopher, politician, lawyer, orator, political theorist, consul, and constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the Roman equestrian order, and is considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists. His influence on the Latin language was so immense that the subsequent history of prose in, not only Latin but European languages up to the 19th century, was said to be either a reaction against or a return to his style. According to Michael Grant, "the influence of Cicero upon the history of European literature and ideas greatly exceeds that of any other prose writer in any language". Cicero introduced the Romans to the chief schools of Greek philosophy and created a Latin philosophical vocabulary distinguishing himself as a translator and philosopher.