Cicero
Who was Cicero?
Roman statesman, lawyer, orator, and philosopher (106–43 BC)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Cicero (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Marcus Tullius Cicero was born on January 3, 106 BC, in Arpinum, a small hill town southeast of Rome, to a wealthy equestrian family. Even though he came from a provincial background, Cicero got an excellent education in Rome and Athens, where he studied rhetoric, philosophy, and law with top teachers. He quickly became known as Rome's leading speaker and built a successful legal career by handling high-profile cases that brought him fame and political connections. His speaking skills and intellect helped him join Rome's political elite, even without the usual aristocratic background.
Cicero's political career peaked when he was elected consul in 63 BC, the highest office in the Roman Republic. During his term, he exposed and stopped the Catilinarian conspiracy, a plot by the unhappy senator Lucius Sergius Catilina to overthrow the government. But his choice to execute five conspirators without trial, which earned him the honorary title Pater Patriae, also made some powerful enemies. These enemies managed to have him exiled in 58 BC, but he was brought back the next year thanks to the help of Pompey and other allies.
The last decades of Cicero's life were marked by the breakdown of the Roman Republic and his efforts to preserve its institutions. He was governor of Cilicia from 51-50 BC, returning to Rome just as Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon. During Caesar's civil war, Cicero reluctantly supported Pompey but was pardoned after Caesar won. After Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, Cicero became the leading voice against Mark Antony, giving a series of harsh speeches called the Philippics. This political activity ultimately led to his death on December 7, 43 BC, when he was killed by Antony's agents near his villa in Formia.
Aside from his political career, Cicero was a prolific writer whose works deeply influenced Latin literature and Western thought. His works on rhetoric, like De Oratore and De Inventione, set principles of public speaking that influenced education for centuries. His philosophical writings, such as De re publica, De legibus, and De Officiis, adapted Greek ideas for Roman readers and created much of the Latin philosophical language still used today. Cicero was married twice, first to Terentia for over thirty years, and later briefly to the much younger Publilia, a marriage that ended in divorce.
Before Fame
Cicero came from an equestrian order family in Arpinum, the same town that produced the great general Marius. Although his father was wealthy, he never held public office in Rome, so Cicero was known as a novus homo or 'new man' — the first in his family to enter the Senate. This provincial background initially worked against him in a political system dominated by established aristocratic families.
He became prominent thanks to his exceptional education and natural talent for speaking. After studying in Rome with the top teachers of rhetoric and law, Cicero traveled to Athens and Rhodes to further his philosophical and rhetorical studies. His first major legal victory came in 80 BC when he successfully defended Sextus Roscius of Ameria against a murder charge, a case involving powerful political figures that showed his courage and skill.
Key Achievements
- Served as consul in 63 BC and suppressed the Catilinarian conspiracy
- Created foundational works on rhetoric including De Oratore and De Inventione
- Developed Latin philosophical vocabulary and adapted Greek philosophy for Roman audiences
- Led senatorial opposition to Mark Antony through the Philippic orations
- Received the honorary title Pater Patriae for saving the Republic from conspiracy
Did You Know?
- 01.Cicero's name likely derives from 'cicer,' meaning chickpea, possibly referring to an ancestor who had a distinctive nose resembling the legume
- 02.He was the first Roman to write extensively about philosophy in Latin rather than Greek, essentially creating the Latin philosophical vocabulary
- 03.Cicero's personal letters, discovered centuries later, provide some of the most intimate glimpses into the daily life of a Roman politician
- 04.Mark Antony ordered Cicero's head and hands to be displayed on the speaker's platform in the Forum as revenge for the Philippics
- 05.He coined over 150 Latin words that are still used today, including 'qualitas' (quality), 'quantitas' (quantity), and 'humanitas' (humanity)
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Pater Patriae | — | — |