Forgot to celebrate, remembered to admire: Cicero

I have to admit—I almost forgot to celebrate Cicero. But as it turns out, remembering him is far more important than remembering a birthday. Born on 3 January 106 BCE, Marcus Tullius Cicero was not just a Roman statesman, orator, and philosopher; he was also one of the earliest thinkers to reflect systematically on translation, long before Translation Studies became a formal discipline.

Cicero occupies a special place in the history of translation theory. He was a pre-Translation Studies theorist, bridging Greek rhetorical artistry and Roman practicality. Just as he adapted Greek oratory and literary art to suit Roman tastes, he also transformed Greek ideas on language and expression into principles that could guide Roman readers—and, by extension, translators.

In his famous debates on translating verbum (word-for-word) versus sensum (sense-for-sense), Cicero argued that fidelity to meaning often requires flexibility in words. Literal translations may preserve exact phrasing, but they can strip a text of its rhetorical force and stylistic elegance. In other words, a faithful translation is more than a linguistic copy—it must persuade, move, and resonate with its audience.

This tension between literal accuracy and communicative effectiveness is the heartbeat of modern translation theory, echoed centuries later by thinkers like Eugene Nida, Katharina Reiss, and Hans Vermeer. Cicero anticipated these ideas by centuries: he insisted that translators consider not only the words of a text, but its purpose, audience, and cultural context—the very concerns that fuel functionalist approaches today.

Remembering Cicero is more than an exercise in historical admiration. It’s a reminder that translation is an art of adaptation, just as he adapted Greek art and rhetoric for Roman audiences. His insight still challenges modern translators: it’s not enough to be accurate—you must also be eloquent, persuasive, and culturally sensitive.

So, while we may have missed his birthday, we cannot afford to forget his lessons. Cicero reminds us that translation is a craft that connects cultures, languages, and minds—and that sometimes, the spirit matters more than the letter.