The Orators in Cicero's Brutus

Special problems are presented to prospographers and historians of the Roman Republic who attempt to determine the chronological structure of Ciceros Brutus. Over two hundred orators who figured actively in Roman politics from the time of the Punic Wars to that of Civil War are cited in the dialogue. Professor Sumner presents their probable birth-dates and careers in the form of a register, followed by a commentary concentrating on the controversial points in the Brutus, to give a systematic basis to our understanding of the problems of the historical aspects of the dialogue and Ciceros organization of it. Professor Sumner has worked primarily from the historians viewpoint. In his words: the study of the chronological structure of the Brutus should be considered the vertebra of the monograph, but the body of the work is the prosopographical commentary, while the examination of Ciceros prosoporgraphical and chronographic resources and methods is an essential adjunct. For scholars and students of early Rome this analysis is a valuable addition to current knowledge.