Cicero's concept of superbia in the roman ethical, philosophical, political and juridical discourse

The article aims at the analysis of the concept of superbia and its derivatives (superbus, superb) in Cicero’s works on the basis of the quantitative method and the method of content-analysis. The concept and its derivatives are used by Cicero for more than 90 times. The political and juridical usages of the concept prevail over the philosophical and ethical ones. In the political context, the mentioned concept is more often met in Cicero’s invectives, being an accusatory instrument against the politicians who abuse their power. For the same, accusatory, reasons serves the image of Tarquinius the Proud (Superbus) in Cicero’s arguments about the unjust power of one person. The concept of superbia and its derivatives are used in the same synonymic series with adrogantia/arrogantia, insolentia and their derivatives. To strengthen the meaning of the concept Cicero combines it with the negative ethical and political categories (crudelitas, contumacia, contumelia, scelus, luxuria/luxuries, etc.) and contrasts it with the positive concepts of the ethical, philosophical, political and juridical apparatus of Cicero’s writings (sapientia, liberalitas, etc.).