The Vatican Codex of Cicero's Verrines

Sir William Peterson was principal of McGill University in Canada at the turn of the 20th century and is still respected as a translator of Latin prose, particularly that of Cicero. This essay discusses one of the key manuscripts underpinning the text of Cicero's Verrine Orations, a series of speeches given during the prosecution of Verres, governor of Sicily. These speeches which launched Cicero's bid for the consulship have been read and admired by generations of readers, but few are informed about the manuscripts used to produce our current reading of the text. Lovers of Cicero and Roman rhetoric will find this an enriching and enlightening addition to their base of knowledge.