MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO. 241 



Greek literature was founded solely on political considerations. But, 

 as might be expected, the Athenian cause prevailed; arid Carbo and 

 the two Gracchi, who are the principal orators of the next generation, 

 are related to have been learned, majestic, and harmonious in the 

 character of their speeches. 1 These were succeeded by Antonius, 

 Crassus, Cotta, Sulpicius, and Hortensius ; who, adopting greater 

 liveliness and variety of manner, form a middle age in the history of 

 Koman eloquence. But it was in that which immediately followed, 

 that the art was adorned by an assemblage of orators, which even 

 Greece will find it difficult to match. Of these Ca3sar, Cicero, Curio, Ciceronian 

 Brutus, Cfeelius, Calvus, and Callidius, are the most celebrated. The ** 

 splendid talents, indeed, of Caesar were not more conspicuous in arms 

 than in his oratory, which was noted for force and purity. 2 Caelius, 

 who has come before us in the history of the times, excelled in natural 

 quickness, loftiness of sentiment, and politeness in attack ; 3 Brutus in 

 philosophical gravity, though he sometimes indulged himself in a 

 warmer and bolder style. 4 Callidius was delicate and harmonious ; 

 Curio bold and flowing; Calvus, from studied opposition to Cicero's 

 peculiarities, cold, cautious, and accurate. 5 Brutus and Calvus have 

 been before noticed as the advocates of the dry sententious mode of 

 speaking, which they dignified by the name of Attic; a kind of 

 eloquence which seems to have been popular from the comparative 

 facility with which it was attained. 



In the Ciceronian age the general character of the oratory was dig- 

 nified and graceful. The popular nature of the government gave 

 opportunites for effective appeals to the passions ; and, Greek litera- 

 ture being as yet a novelty, philosophical sentiments were introduced 

 with corresponding success. The republican orators were long in 

 their introductions, diffuse in their statements, ample in their divisions, 

 frequent in their digressions, gradual and sedate in their perorations. 6 

 Under the emperors, however, the people were less consulted in Decline of 

 state affairs ; and the judges, instead of possessing an almost inde- oratory 

 pendent authority, being but delegates of the executive, from interested ^^J 

 politicians became men of business ; literature, too, was.now familiar Government, 

 to all classes; and taste began sensibly to decline. The national 

 appetite felt a craving for stronger and more stimulating compositions. 

 Impatience was manifested at the tedious majesty and formal graces, 

 the parade of arguments, grave sayings, and shreds of philosophy, 7 which 

 characterized their fathers ; and a smarter and more sparkling kind of 



1 De clar. Orat.; pro Harusp. resp. 19. 



2 Quint, x. 1 and 2. De clar. Orat. 75 3 Ibid. 

 4 Ibid, ad Atticum, xiv. 1. 3 Ibid. 

 8 Dialog, de Orat. 20 and 22, Quint, x. 2. 



7 " It is not uncommon for those who have grown wise by the labour of others, 

 to add a little of their own, and overlook their master." Johnson. We have before 

 compared Cicero to Addison as regards the purpose of inspiring their respective 

 countrymen with literary taste. They resembled each other in the return they 

 experienced. 



[G. R. P.] R 



