CLAS / PHIL 2610 Paganism to Christianity

Reading Handout 4. Cicero “On Divination” (De divinatione) (for Th. Feb. 7, 2002)

Reading: Norlin Reserve: Cicero “On Divination” (De divinatione) I.16-57

Beard, North and Price pp. 61-72

M. Tullius Cicero (106-42 BC) was the most brilliant orator of the first century BC. Though he came from an unimpressive background, his talents as a speaker and politician carried him to the consulship, the highest office of state, in 63 BC. Unfortunately, the enemies he made before his consulship and the maneuvers he undertook while consul led to his exile in 58 and eventually he dropped out of politics altogether. During his period of political retirement, Cicero composed a number of important dialogues on Roman politics, philosophy and religion. Today we are reading part of the treatise he composed in 45 BC “On Divination”, the art of determining the will of the gods through divine signs.

Cicero was a member of the priestly college of Augurs, who were assigned the task of investigating the meaning of divine signs and prodigies. His membership in this priestly college, however, belies the fact that Cicero was deeply skeptical about the validity of prophecy and divination. His skepticism is actually reflected in the De divinatione. The treatise is divided into two books the first of which is a defense of divination cast in the mouth of Cicero’s brother, Quintus. The second book, in Cicero’s own voice, attempts to refute what Quintus has put forth. Using arguments formulated by Greek philosophical schools, he argues that the commonly used practices of divination were nothing more than superstition which “should be torn up by the roots.” This does not mean that Cicero gave no credence to the notion that the gods communicated to men through signs, but rather that common practice was not capable of interpreting those signs. Today we are reading selections only from the first book, but as you read, keep in mind that behind the argument lies a deeper disbelief.

Questions

1. What does Cicero mean by Divination? Are the modes of divination he treats peculiar to the Romans? Are there any peculiarly Roman modes of divination?

2. What forms of Divination does Cicero discuss? Come up with a list of the types or categories of ways in which humans may learn the will of the gods. How does Cicero divide these categories?

3. To what other arts does Cicero compare divination? Do you agree that the comparison is valid? Would other Romans have agreed?

4. How important was divination in the Roman state? What sorts of activities merited an investigation of divine signs? What sort of effect did it have on Roman history?

5. Why did the gods wish to communicate with humans through signs anyway? How did Cicero believe that this operation worked? What does the Roman understanding of divine communication with mortals tell us about the Romans?