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Marcus Tullius Cicero, born in 106 BCE, was the eldest son of Marcus Tullius Cicero and Helvia. He was born in a small town, Arpinum, that is in Latium.
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His father took him and his younger brother to Rome to give them the best education possible.
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Cicero stopped his education to serve for the Roman Army in the Social War. After serving, he returned to studying because he was disturbed by his experiences in war.
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After studying law under the augur, Quintus Mucius Scaevola, he was known to be an exemplary lawyer after defending Sextus Roscius.
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Cicero traveled to Athens and Rhodes to continue his education in Greek oratory and philosophy and was influenced by the Stoic philosopher Panaetius.
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He married Terentia and revived his legal career.
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His first public office was as quaestor in Western Sicily after serving two years in courts.
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He was elected aedile in 69, praetor three years later, and consul in 63.
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Roman statesman Catiline plotted to take over the Roman government by provoking armed uprisings throughout Italy and arson in Rome. In a controversial speech, Cicero persuaded the Roman Senate to execute the conspirators without allowing them a trial. Cicero received applause when he announced the execution to the crowd outside the Roman Forum.
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Despite being recognized for his political talents, he refused an offer to join the First Triumvirate (Pompey the Great, Julius Caesar, and Marcus Licinius Crassus) because he viewed the takeover as unconstitutional.
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He despised Cicero and created a law that targeted him by stating that anyone who executed a Roman citizen without a trial would be stripped of their citizenship and exiled. He was under physical threat so he fled to Greece while his property was confiscated and his home was burnt down. However, he spent this time to further his philosophical studies.
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Cicero was recalled to Senate through the influence of Pompey and a change in political tide. During his time back, he tried to persuade Pompey to sever his alliance with Caesar and Crassus but without success. Instead, Cicero reluctantly aligned himself with the triumvirate because he was indebted to Pompey.
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He went into semi retirement and continues his philosophical and rhetorical studies. He also wrote most of his philosophical works (On the Orator, On the Republic, and On the Laws) during this time.
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He eagerly reentered public life by accepting the office of proconsul of Cicilia and proved to be a fair and benevolent administrator.
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When Cicero returned to Rome, a civil war between Pompey and Caesar erupted and Cicero was loosely allied with Pompey. After Caesar won, Cicero was pardoned but abstained from public office. He devoted himself to philosophy and writing for the rest of his life.
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Although Cicero was not involved in the assassination of Caesar, he used this opportunity to restore the Roman republic and made a series of speeches, called the Philippics to support Octavian and for Senate to announce Mark Antony as the enemy of the state.
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Cicero was assassinated because he was on Mark Antony's proscription list for speaking ill of him in Philippics. He was captured and killed in Formiae, Latium on December 7, 43 BCE.
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Girod, Christina. "Cicero." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2017, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/585253. Accessed 26 Feb. 2017.
