cicero was motivated to write the work in order to re-express stoic arguments within the language of rhetorical latin. cicero states his intention is to make a version of an original greek work in a language appropriate for the mode of the forum. he defends the paradoxes with popular arguments, sometimes hardly more than a play upon words, and illustrates them with anecdotes from history. it is thought that he did not regard these essays as serious works of philosophy, but rather as rhetorical exercises. elsewhere cicero criticizes these paradoxes: especially "de finibus" iv. 74-77 and "pro murena" 60-66.