A Ciceronian exemplum: Cicero’s Self-Portrait as Provincial Governor through his Letters

Autore: Díaz Fernández, Alejandro
Titolo: A Ciceronian exemplum: Cicero’s Self-Portrait as Provincial Governor through his Letters
Rivista/Miscellanea: in : Berno, Francesca Romana & La Bua, Giuseppe, Portraying Cicero in Literature, Culture, and Politics: From Ancient to Modern Times [Berno & La Bua 2022] Volume 4 in the series CICERO (funded by Patrum Lumen Sustine-Stiftung (PLuS)
Luogo edizione: Berlin, Boston
Editore: De Gruyter
Anno edizione: 2022
Pagine: 33-60
Parole chiave: Biographie - Biografia - Biography
Descrizione: Building essentially upon Cicero’s private correspondence, Alejandro Díaz Fernández explores Cicero’s experience as governor of the province of Cilicia (52–51 BCE), interpreted as a good example of provincial administration in late Republic. Through an accurate reading of the letters, it appears that Cicero depicted himself as the ideal governor, exercising his power with aequitas, continentia and moderatio. Cicero offered his deeds as models of political virtue. Within this process of self-canonization Cicero eulogized his governorship as an exemplary case of virtuous administration, radically opposed to past provincial commands and the praetorship in Asia held by his brother Quintus (Q. fr. 1.1). In presenting himself as a positive model and blaming predecessors for their negligence and irresponsibility, Cicero championed a Stoic-sounding ideal of governance sharing canonical elite virtues and showing lenience towards the provincial population. [editor].
Opere:
Link: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110748703-005/pdf
Sigla autore: Díaz Fernández 2022