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106 BCE
Cicero's Birth
Cicero was born to Marcus Tullius Cicero, a wealthy equestrian, and Helvia Cicero, in the town of Arpinum. He was distantly related to Gaius Marius, a rebel leader who fought against Sulla. -
93 BCE
Cicero Learns
Cicero's talents become widely known to Rome's intellectuals, and his reputation affords him the opportunity to study with Quintus Mucius Scaevola, a famous lawyer. -
83 BCE
Cicero Makes His First Political Speech
Cicero successfully defends Publius Quinctius from Sextus Naevius in a land dispute. Naevius had tricked Quinctius into leaning on him to pay off his debt and then refused to give him the money, forcing him to sell off his personal property. After they face each other in court, Naevius falsifies a second court session and appeals to the praetor Burrienus. This forced Publius out of us home, and Cicero argued to protect Quinctius's rights. -
75 BCE
Cicero Becomes Quaestor
Cicero's reputation expanded well beyond the confines of his hometown and was soon known all over Rome. He became the quaestor of western Sicily, and the people greatly respected him because of his honesty and integrity. -
70 BCE
Cicero Prosecutes Verres
Cicero was lobbied by the Sicilians to prosecute their former governor, Gaius Verres. He was said to have plundered their lands, defaced temples, and embezzled the citizenry. He was said to have ruined many wheat farmers by canceling their contracts or making ridiculous imposts and extorting many artists out of their work. During the third Servile War, he forced landowners to give up slaves for crimes that he fabricated, or altogether made up slaves and applied random crimes to hapless farmers. -
63 BCE
Cicero Becomes Consul
Cicero defeated Lucius Sergius Catilina, a patrician candidate, and did so at the youngest age possible, 42. Cicero handled his position well and received approval from all of the classes, and was even said to achieve a "Concordia ordinum" and earned the Pater Patriae at the end of his term. in the years following, Caesar invited Cicero to be a member of the group that came to be known as the First Triumvirate, but he declined for he believed it would undermine the Senate. -
63 BCE
Cicero Prosecutes Catiline
After losing to Cicero, Catiline was angry and attempted to conspire against the Republic. Cicero responded to the conspiracy after an attempt on his life was made, and proceeded to make a series of vehement speeches called the Catiline Orations. After his first speech, Catiline is said to have fled the Temple of Jupiter Stator to Etruria. Soon all of the conspirators were caught, and Cicero gave them the death penalty for their actions without a trial. -
58 BCE
Cicero Goes Into Exile
4 years after busting Catiline's conspiracy, Clodius lobbied to make a law that demanded either exile or death to be given to those who punish without a trial, with Cicero as the obvious target of the law. Despite his protests, the law went through, and Cicero left to Thessalonica, Greece. On the day of his departure, Clodius also suggested that all his property be confiscated, and soon his home in Rome and most of his other villas were destroyed by Clodius' supporters. -
44 BCE
Cicero Delivers the Phillipicae
In an effort to demean Mark Antony, he made a series of speeches constructed to break apart his supporters and openly oppose his execution of Caesar's will. He praised Octavian, Caesar's heir, to the utmost, and gained an immense amount of public support. He became the most powerful man in Rome and soon had the entire Senate rallied around him against Antony. -
43 BCE
Cicero's Death
Cicero was assassinated by decapitation when he tried to escape Rome via boat. Mark Antony had ordered his murder after he delivered the Phillipicae. He was given away by one of his brother's free slaves, and it is said that when he was apprehended on the dock, he stated: "There is nothing proper about what you are doing, soldier, but do try to kill me properly."
