How long does it take to read On the Commonwealth?
On the Commonwealth by Cicero takes about 5 hours 4 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 5 hours 4 minutes
A weekend read
First published 1553. 276 pages, about 75,900 words.
11 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 8 hours 26 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 5 hours 4 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 3 hours 10 minutes |
The page count is the median across 55 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
Cicero's De re publica contains the fullest ancient account of the theory of the mixed constitution and the oldest extant narrative of early Roman history; it concludes with the Dream of Scipio, one of the most influential ancient visions of the afterlife. As a Platonic dialogue set in a Roman context, De re publica is in part an examination of Roman attitudes to Greek culture, in part a nostalgic evocation of an earlier and better Rome. The argument of the dialogue concerns the relationship between political theory and practice, and between social institutions and the individual citizen. This edition of most of the surviving portions of De re publica is the most detailed commentary ever to appear in English. It carefully explains Cicero's philosophical argument and its relationship to his account of early Rome, and thoroughly elucidates the language and style of the treatise. The introduction offers a new and provocative interpretation of Cicero's dialogue as a work both of literature and of political philosophy.
Subjects: Political science, The State, Politics and government, Bobbio, Italy (Benedictine monastery), Latin Manuscripts, Conduct of life
