In addition to his desire to undermine Epicureanism in Italy, Cicero had a patriotic wish to remove from the literature of his country the reproach that it was completely destitute where Greek was richest.  He often tries by the most far-fetched arguments to show that philosophy had left its mark on the early Italian peoples[117].  To those who objected that philosophy was best left to the Greek language, he replies with indignation, accusing them of being untrue to their country[118].  It would be a glorious thing, he thinks, if Romans were no longer absolutely compelled to resort to Greeks[119].  He will not even concede that the Greek is a richer tongue than the Latin[120].  As for the alleged incapacity of the Roman intellect to deal with philosophical enquiries, he will not hear of it.  It is only, he says, because the energy of the nation has been diverted into other channels that so little progress has been made.  The history of Roman oratory is referred to in support of this opinion[121].  If only an impulse were given at Rome to the pursuit of philosophy, already on the wane in Greece, Cicero thought it would flourish and take the place of oratory, which he believed to be expiring amid the din of civil war[122].

There can be no doubt that Cicero was penetrated by the belief that he could thus do his country a real service.  In his enforced political inaction, and amid the disorganisation of the law-courts, it was the one service he could render[123].  He is within his right when he claims praise for not abandoning himself to idleness or worse, as did so many of the most prominent men of the time[124].  For Cicero idleness was misery, and in those evil times he was spurred on to exertion by the deepest sorrow[125].  Philosophy took the place of forensic oratory, public harangues, and politics[126].  It is strange to find Cicero making such elaborate apologies as he does for devoting himself to philosophy, and a careless reader might set them down to egotism.  But it must never be forgotten that at Rome such studies were merely the amusement of the wealthy; the total devotion of a life to them seemed well enough for Greeks, but for Romans unmanly, unpractical and unstatesmanlike[127].  There were plenty of Romans who were ready to condemn such pursuits altogether, and to regard any fresh importation from Greece much in the spirit with which things French were received by English patriots immediately after the great war.  Others, like the Neoptolemus of Ennius, thought a little learning in philosophy was good, but a great deal was a dangerous thing[128].  Some few preferred that Cicero should write on other subjects[129].  To these he replies by urging the pressing necessity there was for works on philosophy in Latin.