Voltaire and Cicero
the least hesitation, to support and defend what he has not thoroughly examined and does not clearly comprehend?’ 12 To conclude these letters, through Memmius, Voltaire qualifies Cicero as the epitome of an Enlightenment character. 13
However, one must acknowledge, while reading this imagined Cicero, that Voltaire, at times, manipulates the historical mould of Cicero to conform more closely with enlightenment ideals. Voltaire is a strong believer of independent thought, yet historically, Cicero has been known to draw together components of different schools of thought (Academic, Stoic, Epicurean) to form more valid arguments. While Cicero sometimes personally rejected some religious beliefs of his time, he still recognized religion to bring societies together and thus did not confront these systems wholly – contrary to Voltaire who satirically attacked mass institutions and superstition. Thus, an apparent dichotomy soon becomes clear when reading both of them: Cicero is an avid protector of tradition while Voltaire takes the role of the ‘cynical iconoclast’ 14 who is keen for change. Yet, Voltaire seems to willingly pass over these contradictions due to his exuberant reimagination of Cicero as the ideal enlightenment thinker. It is difficult to fully adhere to these differences though, when it is apparent they share a myriad of similar attributes. Instead of manipulating people with power and money, both Voltaire and Cicero used rhetoric and wit to convince broad audiences of their point. They also used satire to condemn and denounce their political and philosophical enemies through allegories. It was not only the quality of their work which bested opponents, it was the sheer volume that kept them ahead: Cicero, especially before he received his consulship, took as many law cases as he could (no matter how small) in order to gain favours, alongside publishing a substantial amount of written work; Voltaire likewise produced an exorbitant 15 million words throughout his working career. 15 His adulation of Cicero may have initiated from his upbringing where his Jesuit teachers at school focused on classics, notably Le Père Thoulier who was a renowned Ciceronian scholar. 16 After education, Voltaire’s father placed him in a law school; although strongly disliking it, he may have become familiar with Cicero – one of the most notorious lawyers in history. In Vie de Voltaire , Condorcet likens Voltaire to Cicero in respect of being a novus homo: Cicero was classed throughout Rome as this due to him being a first-generation senator, being of the equestrian rank. If we were to compare their relative social classes, Voltaire and Cicero shared the same familial status – non-aristocratic, upper- middle class. Like Cicero, Voltaire later made a far greater name for himself, but when younger and encountered with a disdainful Chevalier du Rohan of the French nobility, he responds with this witty aphorism speaking in 3 rd person, ‘he is one who does not have a great name, but wins respect for the name he has.’ 17 This is similar to how Cicero impressed greatly within his first few terms in office. In this way, Condorcet is correct at how Voltaire – like Cicero who later became consul – despite coming from a non-elite household, worked his way up to socialize with the upper class. Cicero emphasizes
12 See Younge 1878: § 1.1. 13 See Sharpe 2015: 356. 14 See Ridgway 1968: 268.
15 See About Voltaire’s writings. 16 See Cronk, N; Roe, G 2019. 17 See Sharpe 2015: 331, quoting Voltaire.
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