On Voltaire and Cicero
Tom de M
In the preface of Rome Sauvée , Voltaire distinguishes Cicero as ‘the greatest Roman philosopher, as well as the most eloquent’. 1 Cicero was a prominent classical author in the Enlightenment era, as well as being the highest selling. 2 Peter Gay declares in his book Enlightenment that De Natura Deorum, De Divinatione and De Officiis ‘more than any other product of ancient culture, survived to shape the enlightenment’. 3 Yet it seems the one who admired him most was Voltaire. He uses Cicero as a vehicle for philosophical ideals; a renowned figure who can be shown to espouse very similar viewpoints. In this essay, I shall examine Voltaire’s reception of Cicero (and why he fixates on him), comparing it to the views of some of his Enlightenment counterparts. Through evaluating Voltaire’s adaptations of Cicero’s work, I will then review their similarities and differences from a modern perspective. When researching Voltaire’s views on Cicero, one finds a plethora of superlative compliments or homages to him. For Voltaire, Cicero’s De Natura Deorum was ‘perhaps the best book of antiquity. 4 This is arguably down to Cicero’s style: he weighs up different schools of thought and does not conclude with a definitive answer, leaving it for the reader to decide. Voltaire himself emulates, encouraging people to form their own viewpoints instead of blindly following those of another. He also admires the fact that Cicero (though, like Voltaire, living in a world dominated by religion) contemplates the very existence of gods. His questioning approach is exemplified here when he reveals there is little evidence for divine beings taking on human form: ‘Suppose animals possessed reason, do you not think that they would each assign pre-eminence to their own species?’ 5 This scepticism is an underlying and recurring theme throughout Voltaire’s corpus, notably in Candide, ou l’Optimisme , where he satirically undermines religion. Not everyone thought Cicero to be the marvel Voltaire believed he was: Crébillon’s play Catalina sets out to make Cicero the antagonist during the conspiracy plot of 63 BCE: ‘a coward as well as a villain’ who wishes to immorally gain political power by arranging a marriage for his daughter with Catiline, all-the-while Rome is at threat from Catiline himself. 6 However, succeeding this play, in Rome Sauvée , Voltaire aimed to exonerate and extol Cicero while describing the same events. Though, he omits the love complications that have no substantial historical evidence and seem to dishonour Cicero in Crébillon’s version. In his preface, Voltaire explains that he may have hyperbolized Cicero in a positive manner – even if it may not have been historically accurate – because his intention of the play was to make Cicero more noble and amicable for the youth who go to the theatre. 7
1 See Sharpe 2015: 329. 2 See Burrows 2022. 3 See Gay 1966: 109.
4 See Simkin 1997, updated 2020. 5 See Thayer updated 2022: 76.
6 See Sharpe 2015: 329. 7 See Sharpe 2015: 345.
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