Cicero's philosophical works are now exciting renewed interest and more generous appreciation, in part because he provides vital evidence of the views of the (largely lost) Greek philosophers of the Hellenistic age, and partly because of the light he casts on the intellectual life of first-century Rome. Hellenistic philosophy has in recent years atrracted growing interest from academic philosophers in Europe and North America. The Nature of the Gods is a document of central significance in this area, for it presents (...) a detailed account of the theologies of the Epicureans and of the Stoics, together with the critical objections to these doctrines raised by the Academic school. hen these Greek theories of deity are translated into the Roman context, a fascinating clash of ideologies results. (shrink)

A particularly heartening feature of intellectual life in Ireland is the concentration in University College, Dublin of a nucleus of scholars who can well lay the foundations of a sorely–needed department of Christian Latin. In addition to Professor O’Meara, the College can boast Dr. Ludwig Bieler, whose erudition in palaeography and mediaeval Latinity alike has achieved such notable results for Hiberno–Latin, and Dr. James Shiel, an expert in the manuscripts of Boethius and indeed in the later Roman philosophical tradition. If (...) such a department of Christian Latin could be established, the repercussions could be important both in these islands and in America. One hopes that Professor O’Meara’s efforts in this direction will meet with encouragement and appreciation in proportion to the urgency of the project. (shrink)