Cicero and His Daughter Tullia

At first glance, the epistolary collection entitled The Letters to Atticus by Marcus Tullius Cicero appears to be a product of the Republic. However, Cicero’s emotional outpouring connected with the death of his daughter, the topic of Book 12 in the collection, raises questions not only about the dating of the collection but also about its actual message. This chapter argues that, if Cicero’s emotional outburst contains a political message, it is likely to be imperial in its character. To support the thesis, this chapter draws parallels between several elements of Cicero’s correspondence and the imperial historical context.