When did Marcus Tullius Cicero write De Divinatione?
Marcus Tullius Cicero wrote De Divinatione in 44 BC. This date marks the final year of the Roman Republic before its collapse into empire.
Marcus Tullius Cicero wrote De Divinatione in 44 BC. This date marks the final year of the Roman Republic before its collapse into empire.
Cicero composed the dialogue at Tusculum, a villa outside Rome where he sought refuge from the chaos. Their conversation takes place over several days at the Tusculan estate, creating an intimate setting for high-stakes philosophy.
The dialogue features two speakers: Marcus Tullius Cicero and his brother Quintus. Book One presents Quintus arguing that divination is real and useful while Book Two shows Marcus refuting those same arguments.
Quintus cites specific historical examples where generals ignored warnings and suffered defeat such as Gaius Flaminius who died in battle after ignoring three separate warnings from augurs about fighting Hannibal.
Cicero counters by claiming that most prophecies result from luck rather than divine intervention and describes dreaming of Marius during his exile as a product of frequent thoughts not a supernatural omen.