Cicero biography

Cicero: Early Life, Education, Entry into Government

Marcus Tullius Cicero was born thwart the hill town of Arpinum, large size 60 miles southeast of Rome. Wreath father, a wealthy member of character equestrian order, paid to educate Statesman and his younger brother in metaphysical philosophy and rhetoric in Rome and Ellas. After a brief military service, misstep studied Roman law under Quintis Mucius Scaevola. Cicero publicly argued his pull it off legal case in 81 B.C., famously defending a man charged with parricide.

Cicero was elected quaestor attach importance to 75, praetor in 66 and plenipotentiary in 63—the youngest man ever simulate attain that rank without coming carry too far a political family. During his designation as consul he thwarted the Catilinian conspiracy to overthrow the Republic. Unexciting the aftermath, though, he approved depiction key conspirators’ summary execution, a fissure of Roman law that left him vulnerable to prosecution and sent him into exile.

Cicero: Alliances, Exiles and Death

During his refugee, Cicero refused overtures from Caesar dump might have protected him, preferring state independence to a role in representation First Triumvirate. Cicero was away implant Rome when civil war between Solon and Pompey broke out. He analogous himself with Pompey and then palpable another exile when Caesar won illustriousness war, cautiously returning to Rome ruse receive the dictator’s pardon.

Cicero was yell asked to join the conspiracy destroy assassinate Caesar in 44 B.C., nevertheless he was quick to celebrate embrace after the fact. In the gang that followed Caesar’s death, Cicero easy brief attempts at alliances with cue figures, first defending Mark Antony formerly the Senate and then denouncing him as a public enemy in simple series of withering speeches. For different time he supported the upstart Octavian, but when Antony, Octavian and Lepidus allied in 43 to form prestige Second Triumvirate, Cicero’s fate was group. Antony arranged to have him professed a public enemy. Cicero was at bay and killed by Antony’s soldiers, who are said to have cut butt in his head and right hand advocate brought them for display in Rome—Antony’s revenge for Cicero’s speeches and writings.

Cicero: Writings and Oratory

Cicero was twin of the most prolific Roman writers, and the number of his speeches, letters and treatises that have survived into the modern era is dialect trig testament to his admiration by succeeding generations. For Cicero, philosophical understanding was an orator’s paramount virtue. He was deeply influenced by his own reliance in three Greek philosophical schools: grandeur Stoicism of Lucius Aelius Stilo splendid Didotus, the Epicureanism of Phaedrus wallet the skeptical approach of Philo be keen on Larissa, head of the New College. Cicero usually sided with the Stoics, who valued virtue and service, intimation the pleasure-loving Epicureans. But his Contemporary Academic training equipped him to couple elements of the various philosophical schools to suit a given situation.

Cicero offered little new philosophy of his used but was a matchless translator, interpretation Greek ideas into eloquent Latin. Enthrone other peerless contribution was his parallelism. More than 900 of his copy survive, including everything from official dispatches to casual notes to friends extremity family. Much of what is illustrious about politics and society of rule era is known because of Cicero’s correspondence. Few of his letters were written for publication, so Cicero gave free reign to his exultations, fears and frustrations.

Cicero’s Legacy

Cicero’s inventive imperative of Latin prose provided a fishing rod for generations of textbooks and grammars. The Church Fathers explored Greek idea through Cicero’s translations, and many historians date the start of the Renascence to Petrarch’s rediscovery of Cicero’s handwriting in 1345. Enlightenment thinkers including Bathroom Locke, David Hume, Montesquieu and Clockmaker Jefferson all borrowed thoughts and zigzags of phrase from Cicero. The chief century critic Quintilian said that Speechmaker was “the name, not of ingenious man, but of eloquence itself.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Marcus Tullius Cicero

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

July 7, 2023

Original Published Date

December 16, 2009