Petrarch's Letter To Cicero

420 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Cicero short essays

Petrarch’s letter to Cicero symbolizes his quest for knowledge from the ancient philosophers and his effort to bring out the best of humanism in Florentine society. His very act of writing a letter to an ancient philosopher represents his longing to be associated with the antiquity and his desires to get guidance from the ancient leaders. This letter addresses to an individual (Cicero), but it is intended for the Florentine society, which shows that Petrarch wanted to provide a new lens of studying history—by questioning the authors and finding morality through the study of antiquity and the ancient philosophers. It is the essence of humanism to constantly try to improve the society by guiding it towards being moral and focused in improving …show more content…

He repeatedly questions Cicero’s judgments and the ways that he dealt with certain people such as Antony and Augustus (third paragraph). He begins the letter in delight as if he had found some valuable jewels when he found Cicero’s letters (first paragraph). However, his amazement gradually turns into disappointment and condemnation as Cicero fails to live up to Petrarch’s expectation of being a “traveler in the night, whose torch lights up for others.” Petrarch takes control of the letter from the second paragraph, which in a way implies that he is doing better than Cicero and commands to Cicero to “be the listener” (second paragraph) and grieves at his “fickleness” and feels pity and shame towards him (third paragraph, line 21). Petrarch had to reconcile with the notion that even the highly respected ancient leaders’ personality was not consistent with their public glory. As a result, Petrarch feels “no confidence in the arts in which” Cicero is “so proficient” (Third paragraph). Cicero certainly stands out in the Renaissance history because of his glory as a great leader and a philosopher, but Petrarch’s letter certainly makes us question his abilities and

Show More
Related

  • The Virtues of the Populace: Cicero Marcus Tullius

    1038 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...within the political realm. To that end, Cicero’s hope for the future necessitates the populace possess the virtues as well, most importantly wisdom, so that they may quickly recognize when a dishonorable course of action occurs and needs to be remedied. Julius Caesar’s recent assassination, and Cicero’s lamentation of Caesar’s forceful dissolution of the Republic, often becomes apparent within the text, most notably in the warning against “dangerous flatterers” (19). To avoid the fate of the Republic, the populace must also posses the virtues, namely wisdom, so that unjust action can be discerned and halted, lest a leader gain too much power and dissolve popular sovereignty.

    Read More

  • Cicero's Speech In Pro Caelio

    1406 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Whatever distinction a Roman Equestrian can possess—and it can undoubtedly be very great—has always been judged as belonging to Marcus Caelius in the fullest measure, and is still so judged today” (Pro Caelio 3, pg 130). This quote is taken from the early parts of the defense speech and is used by Cicero to build a foundation surrounding the character of Cicero. Cicero states himself that “he must sway the hearts of the audience” that is exactly what he is doing with this statement about the character of Caelius. He is first refuting the assertion made by the prosecution that Caelius is a vagabond of types who does not obtain the traits of a Proper Roman because of his Equestrian ancestry. Cicero utterly deny’s that and instead demonstrates that Caelius is a man above reproach who comes from an esteemed line of Roman Equestrians and that the Equestrian class is not a class to be looked down on. “Being the son of a Roman Equestrian is something that the prosecution should never have used as a slur before these jurors, or before myself as an advocate.” (Pro Caelio 4, pg 130). There is quite a bit of irony in this statement, Cicero is to an affect reprimanding the prosecution for utilizing slander in order to tear down Caelius. This is something that Cicero himself will do later in his speech when he attacks the

    Read More

  • Plutarch's The Life of Crassus and Caesar

    1442 Words  | 3 Pages

    After reading the Life of Crassus and the Life of Caesar carefully, Plutarch's opinion of these men, and the messages to the reader are plainly seen. He had very contrasting views of Crassus and Caesar, holding one as a model and the other as a negative example. Granted Crassus did have his positive points, but his greed consumed and destroyed him, exemplifying how Plutarch though people should not be. Caesar through moderation, skill, and popularity was able to rise to the top of Rome, personifying Plutarch's vision of what a ruler and person should be.

    Read More

  • Are Human Estranged In Essence

    1176 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cicero believed humans to not be estranged in essence, he thought the contrary, all were connected through god and his divine law and plan. Through following god’s law, humans could achieve what was planned for humanity. The scholar asserted that through a uniting universal force, humans had a sense of togetherness in their essence and who they were. He asserted that a common good could be achieved if enough effort would be applied.

    Read More

  • Renaissance Humanism In The Renaissance During The Renaissance

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    The subject of The School of Athens is humanistic in and of itself. The Textbook Defines humanism in the glossary as “A philosophy emphasizing the worth of the individual, the rational abilities of humankind, and the human potential for good. During the Italian Renaissance, humanism was part of a movement that encouraged study of the classical cultures of Greece and Rome.” In this fresco, Raphael represents the worth and achievements of individuals, as well as the greatness of classical culture. The School of Athen...

    Read More

  • Cicero And Cicero's The Defense Of Injustice

    776 Words  | 2 Pages

    As we regained consciousness one by one, we found ourselves on a deserted island. After gathering all the food and supplies we could find, it was decided that certain rules should be enacted so we may live together civilly. We need to maintain our politeness and courtesy as we do not know how long we may be stranded on the island. To preserve what we have left, the first rule that should be enacted must benefit the group as a whole. The rule to have every able bodied individual work to benefit the group. That means that a person must work at gather food, water, build shelter, and any other tasks that are required. This should be the most important rule as it will maintain order and will provide justice in our group.

    Read More

  • The Power Struggle in The Clerk’s Tale

    2551 Words  | 6 Pages

    ...o look at the clerk’s submission and read it as a technique to gain power. If the clerk is not praising Petrarch, he is critiquing him and his interpretation of the tale. Petrarch believed the tale to represent submission to God, through the clerk’s false submission he twists the tale, making it about the way submission can be used by some authorities to control and abuse. The masochistic acceptance of punishment on the part of Griselda correlates the internal corruption that flourishes in those who hold power and strive to maintain that hold.

    Read More

  • Essay On Marcus Aurelius

    1188 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was born Marcus Annius Verus on April 26, 121 A.D.. He was of a noble family originally Spanish, Aurelius grew up close to the center of power. His father was Annius Verus, his mother Domitia Lucilla. When he was a child the emperor Hadrian took interest in him because he embraced both rhetoric and philosophy; his manner was serious, his intellectual pursuits deep and devoted, so that the emperor punned on his name and called him “Verissimus”, ‘Most Truthful”. It is this quality of Aurelius character which made him a unique figure in Roman history, since he was the first emperor whose life was molded by devotion to philosophy. He received public honors from an early age and seemed to be Hadrian potential successo...

    Read More

  • Vico's New Science: The Unity of Piety and Wisdom

    2571 Words  | 6 Pages

    ABSTRACT: In Vico’s New Science wisdom is understood in a double sense. On the one hand, wisdom means the poetic wisdom that provides intelligibility for the peoples of the nations during their early stages of development. On the other hand, wisdom means the noetic knowledge gained by the Vichian scientist who contemplates concrete historicity in the light of the New Science. By means of an examination of three principle aspects of Vico’s science, and by looking to his conception of the origin of the most rudimentary institutions of humanity, primordial piety— fear of the mythic other— is shown to be the origin of poetic wisdom. And, by focusing on the necessity of surmounting the conceit of scholars and the conceit of nations for a science of universal history, philosophical piety— openness to the wholly Other— is revealed as the ground of philosophical wisdom. This paper sets out to show how Vico’s science of the principles of humanity is, at the same time, a science of the unity of piety and wisdom.

    Read More

  • Cicero

    437 Words  | 1 Pages

    Among the minor works of Cicero, the essays On Old Age and On Friendship have and always will be admired for their urbane, and cultivated style. The four collections of letters to his friends are among his most precious works. These letters are a spontaneous self-revelation of Cicero and an excellent source of information not the politics of ancient Rome.

    Read More

  • Petrarch: The Initiator Of The Renaissance

    1038 Words  | 3 Pages

    Petrarch was a poet and a scholar in Renaissance Italy. “Petrarch is much admired as the first Renaissance man,” (Simpson 1). He is often acknowledged for commencing the Renaissance period. “Petrarch shaped a new sense of literary history and practice,” (Carlino 2). “He inaugurated the dialogical era,” (Celenza 10). He found a new way to write the language which was extremely different at the time. “Much of Petrarch’s well-groomed identity comes from his work in Latin,” (Carlino 2). He wrote most of his works in Latin.

    Read More

  • Erasmus Vs Machiavelli

    876 Words  | 2 Pages

    Despite their differences, The New Education, Education of a Christian Prince, and The Prince provide insight to the political and social circumstances of the time and the importance of humanism in the Renaissance. The connecting strand throughout all three of the sources is the revival of the classical period. The citations of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers reveal the importance of classical values in the Renaissance period. Besides that great similarity, the sources also contain some major differences. The most important contrasts within the sources are political ideas, the role of religion, and philosophical perspective. Together the sources depict the movement away from Christianity and idealism towards secular ideas and realism. The Erasmus source is the most traditional, and the Machiavelli source is the most modern, while the Vergerius source is somewhere in between. The Renaissance was the tipping point between the middle ages and the modern era, and that is apparent within the similarities and difference of these sources. From The New Education, Education of a Christian Prince, and The Prince, it can be concluded that the humanist movement was extremely significant during the Renaissance, and humanists contributed to the development of new ideas through the revival of the past ideas of classical Greece and

    Read More

  • The Human and the Divine

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the works of Cicero, we see him asking questions about social responsibility, about what it is that gives value to a human life. Cicero conveys to us his belief that it is most natural for a person to show the most defined charac...

    Read More

  • Delivery Of The Keys To St. Peter Analysis

    216 Words  | 1 Pages

    Humanism can be defined as “an intellectual movement in Renaissance Italy based on the study of Greek and Roman classics.” Humanistic values were very important in this time because it influenced many people to believe in individuality and instigated the future events such as the Christian Reformation in the 15th century. When humanism began to be an important characteristic in society, many creative people would create art and literature about it. Perugino in his painting, “The Delivery of the Keys to St. Peter.” had displayed humanism in many ways. Humanism gave more value to humans which meant more people would study the human anatomy. Through the studies of anatomy, Perugino was able to put lots of specifics into the human bodies to make

    Read More

  • Francesco Petrarch Research Paper

    1760 Words  | 4 Pages

    Francesco Petrarch, otherwise known as the “father of humanism,” played a vital role in igniting the Renaissance Period (Whitfield). His works and ideas influenced many other poets and writers after his death. Petrarch was known for his deep and symbolic works that are still read and analyzed today. Petrarch’s father’s death began his full onset of studying and writing literature (Whitefield). Francesco Petrarch focused on studying classics, and he was the epitome of what a Renaissance Period writer should be; through his famous Petrarchan Sonnet, he was better able to bring out important themes and stylistic devices that highlighted his love for Laura and how death interfered with his ability to love her .

    Read More

More about Petrarch's Letter To Cicero

Open Document