Cicero as translator of Greek in his presentation of the Stoic theory of action

Abstract

This thesis involves the study of Cicero’s translation of several Greek terms and concepts. In this analysis I examine some of the historical relations between Greek and Roman cultures in order to establish some of the factors that Cicero encountered when attempting to use Greek terms. This includes, in specific, an examination of Cato the Elder as an example of an elite Roman. The latter half of the thesis focuses on a series of specific Greek terms that deal with the Stoic theory of action. This section illustrates how Cicero introduced the Greek term, how he attempted to translate it into Latin, and any problems that occurred in the translation. Finally, I offer some explanations for any differences that I detected between the Greek Stoic meaning of the term and Cicero’s own translation.