Perspective

The perspective of the book is ultimately Cicero's. Cicero is the author of all five chapters, although the book's introduction is written by Michael Grant. Each chapter typically begins with a brief explanation of why the piece is written, perhaps a bit on the genesis of the piece and when Cicero wrote it. Cicero often gives his own explanations of these facts, and Grant typically does this as well. Once we enter the main body of each chapter, the perspective changes depending on the chapter we are in. In Discussions at Tusculum, Cicero composes a dialogue between himself and a friend on the nature of the good life. The friend is largely a straight man for what would otherwise simply be a soliloquy by Cicero. In On Duties, Cicero writes as he would write a treatise. Initially he writes to his son, explaining the purpose of the book...