Page 30 - All About History - Issue 08-14

Heroes & Villains

MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO

Cicero reached the peak of any Roman’s career if his prayers had been answered. He boarded a ship
when he was elected consul, the highest office from his Greek residence and prepared to re-enter the
attainable. As consul he utilised his oratory skills cut-throat world of Roman politics.
to put down a conspiracy of rebellion against him, All was not well in the Republic on his return home.
convincing the mob to condemn the men Political upheaval revolving around two friends
involved as traitors. He condemned them turned rivals, Pompey Magnus and Julius
to death, reasoning that the situation Caesar, was creating dangerous divisions
was dangerous enough and that the within the already fractious Roman
tide of public opinion swelling around political system. While Caesar courted
him would be protection against not Cicero’s favour, looking for a respectable
affording the accused a trial. Declaring man to back his grievousness against
his verdict he spoke one word to the Pompey, Cicero decided to play safe. If
crowd: “Vixerunt” (“They are dead”), which he’d learned anything during his years in
was received by rapturous applause exile it was to back a winner when he
from the people. In reality this was saw one. Pompey had more men,
Marc Antony’s oration
over the body of Julius a risky tactic: in the cruel political more support in the senate and
Caesar, both of whom game of Rome, operating seemed to hold the support of
were enemies of Cicero
outside the law in public Rome’s mob. He threw in his
office spawned enemies lot with Pompey as the man
who would see the Republic
Pax Romana and sure enough, when his restored and reward Cicero
tenure ended, a group of
Despite Rome’s apparent stability throughout political enemies introduced with power and influence
this period, the Roman Republic and its a law punishing those who once Caesar was defeated.
political system was going through immense had condemned Roman However, fate played a cruel
upheaval. The senate was becoming unable citizens without trial. Cicero had trick on Cicero. Defying the odds,
to curtail the ambitions of powerful Roman been outmanoeuvred. The mob had Caesar defeated Pompey in open battle
leaders who commanded vast armies. One
of them, Gaius Julius Caesar, had been ruling turned against him, the new consul and again Cicero was exiled from Rome,
Rome as joint consul with Pompey Magnus wasn’t sympathetic and he was exiled. along with Pompey’s dilapidated forces.
but feared a plot concocted by Pompey to Cicero’s dramatic rise to power had For the second time Cicero was on the
overthrow his authority within the senate. In been cut short. He wrote at length to his run from his homeland and his future looked
short order, their conflict threw the whole of noble friend Titus Atticus about his woe: “Your pleas bleak. His return to Rome came after Caesar, looking
Rome and its dependencies into a disruptive have prevented me from committing suicide. But what to shore up a very unsettled senate, decided to pardon
conflict that pitted Romans against Romans.
As this was happening the senate struggled is there to live for? Don’t blame me for complaining. him. Instead of punishment, Caesar praised Cicero,
to maintain a role for itself within the city My afflictions surpass any of those you have heard commenting on his oratory skills: “It is more important
and was constantly being overruled by men earlier.” He couldn’t see how he would ever command to have greatly extended the frontiers of the Roman
like Caesar who was holding a lethal trump power again. spirit than the frontiers of the Roman empire.” But
card – an army capable of sacking the city. So, in 57 BCE, when Roman leadership changed flattery did not sway Cicero over to Caesar’s side and
Public officials often found themselves once again and Cicero was given a reprieve it was as what he found when he returned to Rome affronted
behind developing events. When Caesar
was assassinated, Mark Antony became the Defining moment

dominant force within the city. When Caesar’s
adopted son Octavian, who also called himself Gaius Verres’ case 75 BCE
Caesar, took over the city and Antony fled, One of the most celebrated cases of Cicero’s
Antony’s supporters found themselves on career is his prosecution of the corrupt Sicilian
shifting sand. For senators like Cicero, this governor Gaius Verres, a tyrant who brutalised
was a dangerous time and picking the wrong his Roman subjects. After hearing Cicero’s
side during these insurrections could spell reputation as an excellent orator, the Sicilians
doom if the opposing side regained power. petition Cicero to prosecute Verres on their behalf.
After some debate, Cicero takes the case to Rome
There was also the constant threat of political
assassination, a method not uncommon in and promptly wins against Verres’s expensive
lawyer through his superb oratory skills. With the
Roman society for removing political enemies.
gathered crowd cheering whenever Cicero speaks
his relationship with the people is sealed. This
early success is the foundation upon which his
Timeline political career is built.

106 BCE
● Birth of Cicero ● Precursor ● Philosopher ● Praetor of Rome ● Real power
Cicero is born into Cicero joins Cicero becomes Cicero becomes Cicero is made consul of the Roman
an equestrian order the army as a fascinated by a Praetor and a senate, one of the most powerful
family in Arpinum, precursor under the Greek philosophy. famous magistrate positions in Rome. The consul is
outside of Rome. leadership of Strabo Roman society of the law. Praetor leader of the senate and has full veto
While his father is and Sulla. He serves dictates that is also a military power. While consul, he uncovers
a man of means, during the War knowledge position but a conspiracy to overthrow him by
Cicero’s family is not of Allies between of Greek is he shows very Catiline. The decision to condemn
considered part of the Republic and mandatory for limited interest in the traitors to death without a trial
the ruling elite. several Italian cities. those in power. the military. will come back to haunt him.
106 BCE 90 BCE 87 BCE 66 BCE 63 BCE
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