Cicero

1. Cicero's rise from provincial outsider to Roman political elite

"Always be the best, my boy, the bravest, and hold your head high above the others."

Humble beginnings. Marcus Tullius Cicero was born in 106 BC in Arpinum, a small town about 70 miles south of Rome. Despite his non-aristocratic background, Cicero's father recognized his son's potential and sent him to Rome for education. There, Cicero excelled in rhetoric and law, quickly gaining a reputation as a brilliant orator.

Political ascent. Cicero's legal career flourished, and he climbed the cursus honorum, the Roman political ladder:

• Quaestor in Sicily (75 BC)
• Aedile (69 BC)
• Praetor (66 BC)
• Consul (63 BC)

His greatest triumph came during his consulship when he uncovered and thwarted the Catilinarian conspiracy, earning him the title "Father of his Country." This cemented Cicero's position as a leading figure in Roman politics, despite his status as a novus homo (new man) in the aristocratic-dominated system.

2. The fragile balance of power in the late Roman Republic

"When I notice how carefully arranged his hair is and when I watch him adjusting the parting with one finger, I cannot imagine that this man could conceive of such a wicked thing as to destroy the Roman constitution."

Institutional weakness. The Roman Republic's system of checks and balances, once a source of stability, had become increasingly dysfunctional by Cicero's time. Key issues included:

• Abuse of veto powers by tribunes
• Manipulation of religious auguries for political gain
• Growing influence of powerful generals and their loyal armies

Social unrest. Economic inequality and the displacement of small farmers fueled populist movements, challenging the traditional authority of the Senate. This created a volatile political environment where demagogues could gain power by appealing to the masses.

Rise of powerful individuals. The system's inability to address these issues paved the way for ambitious men like Pompey, Crassus, and Julius Caesar to accumulate unprecedented personal power, further weakening Republican institutions.

3. Caesar's ascent and the collapse of Republican institutions

"Caesar had long ago decided that he must get rid of Pompey—just as Pompey, of course, had decided to get rid of Caesar."

First Triumvirate. Caesar formed an alliance with Pompey and Crassus in 60 BC, effectively bypassing the Senate's authority. This informal power-sharing arrangement allowed Caesar to:

• Secure his consulship in 59 BC
• Gain a long-term military command in Gaul
• Build a loyal and battle-hardened army

Civil War. The death of Crassus in 53 BC and growing tensions between Caesar and Pompey led to open conflict. Key events:

• Caesar crosses the Rubicon (49 BC)
• Defeat of Pompey at Pharsalus (48 BC)
• Caesar named dictator perpetuo (44 BC)

Caesar's accumulation of titles and honors, combined with his military supremacy, made a mockery of Republican institutions. His assassination in 44 BC, rather than restoring the old order, plunged Rome into another round of civil wars.

4. Cicero's philosophical pursuits during political exile

"When I am alone all my conversation is with books; it is interrupted by fits of weeping, against which I struggle as best I can."

Forced retirement. During periods of political marginalization, particularly under Caesar's dictatorship, Cicero turned to writing and philosophy. This productive exile resulted in numerous influential works:

• De Republica (On the Republic)
• De Legibus (On the Laws)
• De Officiis (On Duties)

Philosophical eclecticism. Cicero drew from various Greek schools of thought, particularly Stoicism and Academic Skepticism. He aimed to make Greek philosophy accessible to a Roman audience, often using dialogue form to present competing viewpoints.

Legacy. Cicero's philosophical works became crucial in transmitting Greek ideas to the Latin-speaking world and later to medieval and Renaissance Europe. His emphasis on natural law and mixed constitutions influenced political thought for centuries to come.

5. The assassination of Caesar and its chaotic aftermath

"Why, this is violence!"

The Ides of March. On March 15, 44 BC, a group of senators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus assassinated Julius Caesar. The conspirators, styling themselves as "liberators," hoped to restore the Republic. However, they had no clear plan for what would come next.

Power vacuum. The assassination led to a period of intense political maneuvering:

• Mark Antony, as surviving consul, initially gained the upper hand
• Octavian, Caesar's adopted heir, arrived in Rome to claim his inheritance
• Cicero attempted to steer a middle course, supporting neither Antony nor Octavian

Second Triumvirate. By late 43 BC, Octavian, Antony, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus formed an alliance, officially sanctioned as the "Triumvirs for Organizing the Republic." This marked the effective end of the Republican system Cicero had fought to preserve.

6. Cicero's final bid to save the Republic through oratory

"I did not mince my words, and, more by willpower than by oratorical skill, I recalled the weak and weary Senate to its old, traditional vigor."

Philippics. In a series of fourteen speeches known as the Philippics, delivered between September 44 BC and April 43 BC, Cicero launched a blistering attack on Mark Antony. He sought to:

• Rally the Senate against Antony's perceived tyranny
• Support Octavian as a counterweight to Antony
• Preserve Republican institutions and traditions

Short-lived success. Cicero's oratory initially seemed to sway the Senate, leading to Antony's declaration as an enemy of the state. However, this triumph was short-lived, as Octavian soon allied with Antony against the Senate.

Miscalculation. Cicero's support for Octavian proved to be a fatal error. He underestimated the young heir's ambition and overestimated his own ability to control him, famously stating, "I have raised him up only to be struck down by him."

7. The triumph of autocracy and Cicero's tragic demise

"I reaped the richest of rewards for my many days of labor and sleepless nights—if there is any reward in true, genuine glory."

Proscriptions. The Second Triumvirate's first act was to eliminate potential opponents through proscriptions. Cicero, as Antony's most prominent critic, was a prime target. Despite attempts to flee, he was captured and executed on December 7, 43 BC.

Legacy. Cicero's death symbolized the end of the Roman Republic:

• His hands and head were displayed in the Forum
• His writings continued to influence political thought for centuries
• He became a martyr figure for defenders of republicanism

Aftermath. The Republic Cicero had championed was gone, replaced by the autocratic rule of the triumvirs and eventually the principate of Augustus. However, Cicero's ideals of mixed government, natural law, and civic virtue would continue to inspire political thinkers and revolutionaries down to the modern era.

Last updated: January 23, 2025