On Government - Classic Text | Alexandria
On Government, or De re publica as it was originally known, a dialogue penned by Marcus Tullius Cicero, stands as more than a mere treatise on statecraft; it is a philosophical exploration of the ideal state, a hauntingly incomplete vision of Roman virtue. Composed between 54 and 51 BC, this work often evokes a sense of loss, partly due to its fragmentary survival, and partly because it embodies an aspiration for republican values that Rome itself would betray.
Our earliest glimpses of De re publica emerge from Cicero’s own letters, where he alludes to the work as a central piece of his philosophical project during a period of intense political turmoil. The late Roman Republic was a cauldron of ambition and factionalism, a world of shifting alliances and looming civil war. Cicero, a staunch defender of republican ideals, saw the encroaching shadows of autocracy. His dialogue thus becomes a desperate attempt to define and resurrect the values he believed were slipping away, a poignant commentary on a republic teetering on the brink.
The impact of On Government rippled through subsequent centuries, shaping political thought from the Church Fathers to Renaissance humanists. Augustine, grappling with the fall of Rome, famously engaged with Cicero’s assertion that a just state must be founded on justice, initiating a centuries-long debate about the relationship between earthly and divine realms. Rediscovered fragments in the 19th century further fueled scholarly interest, revealing tantalizing glimpses of Cicero's vision. The "Dream of Scipio," preserved thanks to Macrobius, became a cornerstone of medieval cosmology and Neoplatonic thought, a testament to the enduring power of its vision of cosmic harmony.
Cicero’s On Government remains a vibrant source of inspiration and debate. Its incomplete nature only adds to its allure, inviting readers to reconstruct, reimagine, and reconsider what a truly just republic might look like. Is Cicero’s vision of a balanced constitution and virtuous citizenry a timeless ideal, or a nostalgic echo of a bygone era, forever out of reach? This is the question that continues to draw readers back to this fragmented masterpiece.