How to Write a Letter by Marcus Tullius Cicero

How to Write a Letter by Marcus Tullius Cicero

An inviting collection of Greek and Roman advice on letter writing—plus a gathering of illuminating and intimate letters from Cicero, Seneca, and Pliny

Email, texting, and AI appear to be sending the ancient art of letter writing to the verge of extinction. But this valuable skill doesn’t have to become a dead letter. In a world drowning in generic and impersonal communication, now is a perfect time to rediscover the beauty of the personal letter—thoughtful, deliberate, and capable of building and strengthening friendships, romantic relationships, and family, social, and business ties. For inspiration and instruction on how to write a great letter, there are few better guides than the ancient Greeks and Romans, for whom letters were an essential, distinctive, and flexible form. In How to Write a Letter, Yelena Baraz presents lively new translations of selections from Greek and Roman letter-writing manuals and rhetorical treatises, plus a gathering of letters by three great Roman letter writers—Marcus Tullius Cicero, Seneca the Younger, and Pliny the Younger—and the original Greek and Latin on facing pages.

The letter-writing manuals sampled here provide convenient classifications and formulas to their users while the rhetorical treatises offer instructions on tone, register, and length. The featured letters by Cicero, Seneca, and Pliny are tailored to different kinds of recipients, situations, and purposes—including consolation, invitation, recommendation, and to make or strengthen a connection—illustrating how to make every letter fit its occasion and addressee.

Filled with timeless insights about the epistolary art, How to Write a Letter is an instructive and enlightening reminder of why letters still offer us a uniquely personal means of engaging with each other.

Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BCE) was an important Roman statesman, orator, and philosopher. His many letters to his friends, associates, and family members are a precious witness to life in first-century-BCE Rome. Yelena Baraz is the Kennedy Foundation Professor of Latin Language and Literature at Princeton University and director of the Princeton Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts. Her books include Cicero: A Very Short Introduction and A Written Republic: Cicero’s Philosophical Politics (Princeton).

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780691267593
ISBN 10	0691267596
Title	How to Write a Letter
Author	Marcus Tullius Cicero
Series	Ancient Wisdom For Modern Readers Ser
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Princeton University Press
Year published	2027-01-12
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.