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Marcus Tullis Cicero Facts

Marcus Tullis Cicero Facts
Marcus Tullis Cicero, often just referred to as "Cicero," was a Roman statesman and philosopher. Cicero influenced Roman culture through his voluminous writings, primarily in Latin, and his superb oratory skills, which gained him much attention and respect in the government. He is perhaps best known for his stance against Julius Caesar, and later Octavian/Augustus, during the Civil Wars in the first century BC. Although friends with both Caesar and Pompey, he refused to endorse either man during their struggle as he believed that it would endanger the Senate and the Republic. After Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC by Brutus and other members of the Senate, Cicero attempted to pit Mark Antony and Octavian against each other. Cicero's plan failed when Antony and Octavian patched up their differences and created a list of political enemies to be murdered - Cicero was on that list.
Interesting Marcus Tullis Cicero Facts:
Cicero was born in 106 BC in the town of Arpinum, about sixty miles south of Rome.
His family were patricians and of the privileged equestrian class.
As was the case for most young patrician men, Cicero was educated in Greek as well as Latin.
Cicero translated many of the Greek classics into Latin, which is how many of those works were preserved in western Europe during the Dark Ages.
While he was a young man, Cicero worked as a defense lawyer and traveled throughout Greece, studying philosophy and rhetoric.
The highest political office Cicero attained was as consul in 63 BC. Roman consuls were somewhat like modern prime ministers in that they were elected by the Senate to be the head of state, but they were also like modern presidents because they were the commander-in-chief of the Roman military.
Cicero married a wealthy young woman named Terentia in 79 BC. The couple remained married for thirty years and had a son and a daughter.
While serving his one year term as consul, Cicero discovered and stopped a plot to assassinate him and overthrow the Republic.
The plot against Cicero and the Republic was led by a senator named Catiline, so it became known as the "Catiline Conspiracy."
Many of Cicero's known writings have survived, including some of the following: eight books of philosophy and six books of rhetoric; fifty-two speeches; and thirty-seven books of epistles (letters).
Despite his high regard for the Republic and public stances against tyranny, Cicero had several of the members of the Cataline Conspiracy executed without trial.
Antony and Octavian viewed Cicero differently, perhaps owing to their different backgrounds. The career solider and plebian Antony had little time or respect for Cicero, while Octavian, who had a similar educational and social background as Cicero and enjoyed many of the same past times, argued to keep him off the proscription list. Antony was ultimately successful.
Cicero was killed by two soldiers/assassins at his villa south of Rome on December 7, 43 BC.
David Bamber portrayed Cicero in the HBO series Rome.


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