The classical writing which approaches most nearly to the Republic of Plato is the 'De Republica' of Cicero; but neither in this nor in any other of his dialogues does he rival the art of Plato.

The manners are clumsy and inferior; the hand of the rhetorician is apparent at every turn.

Yet noble sentiments are constantly recurring: the true note of Roman patriotism--'We Romans are a great people'-- resounds through the whole work.

Like Socrates, Cicero turns away from the phenomena of the heavens to civil and political life.

He would rather not discuss the 'two Suns' of which all Rome was talking, when he can converse about 'the two nations in one' which had divided Rome ever since the days of the Gracchi.