Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman lawyer, writer, and orator. He is famous for his orations on politics and society, as well as serving as a high-ranking consul.
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Anthropology, Archaeology, Social Studies, World History
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This statue depicts Marcus Tullius Cicero, a famous orator and writer on the politics and society of the Roman Rebulic. Unfortunately, his opinions on politics were not always popular, and he was ultimately declared a public enemy and executed in 43 B.C.
Photograph by Augurmm, courtesy Wikimedia. CC-BY-SA-4.0
Marcus Tullius Cicero was born outside of Rome in 106 B.C. Born to a wealthy family, Cicero received a quality education. After he served in the military, Cicero studied Roman law. He went on to be elected to each of Rome’s principal offices, becoming the youngest citizen to attain the highest rank of consul without coming from a political family.
Cicero remained loyal to the Roman Republic during his career. He viewed the informal alliance known as the First Triumvirate to be in direct opposition to the principles of the republic and authority of the Senate. By refusing to join this alliance, Cicero left himself vulnerable to attacks from his political enemies. This became an issue for Cicero when he came under fire for speaking out against the political figure and tribune Publius Clodius.
When Clodius was elected as a tribune, he introduced a bill that revoked the citizenship of anyone who killed a Roman citizen without granting them a trial. This was designed to strike at Cicero for his role in putting down an uprising known as the Catalonian rebellion. Cicero ordered the execution of the revolutionaries without a trial due to the urgency that the rebellion needed to be ended. With no allies remaining to protect him from Clodius’ attacks, Cicero fled Rome and become an exile. After a year and a half, however, he was allowed to return back to Rome as a result of Pompey’s intervention following Clodius’ term as tribune.
When Cicero returned to Rome, he was forced to stay out of politics, so he turned to writing. He wrote many works relating to philosophy, such as On the Republic, On Invention, and On the Orator. He established himself as a prolific Roman author. He also made many speeches and wrote letters that have been preserved, allowing the modern world to gain knowledge of the politics and culture of Cicero’s era.
Cicero’s fate was sealed when he began speaking out against Mark Antony, who rose to power following Julius Caesar’s assassination. Once Cicero denounced Antony, he was declared a public enemy and was executed in 43 B.C.
This statue depicts Marcus Tullius Cicero, a famous orator and writer on the politics and society of the Roman Rebulic. Unfortunately, his opinions on politics were not always popular, and he was ultimately declared a public enemy and executed in 43 B.C.
Photograph by Augurmm, courtesy Wikimedia. CC-BY-SA-4.0
people or groups united for a specific purpose.
member of a country, state, or town who shares responsibilities for the area and benefits from being a member.
one of two chief officials of the ancient Roman republic who were elected every year.
forced ejection from a country, or a person who feels forced to leave.
the study of the basic principles of knowledge.
very productive or abundant.
system of government where power rests in citizens who vote and representatives who stand for those citizens. The United States is a republic.
having to do with the civilization of ancient Rome, including the kingdom, republic, and empire.
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Julius Caesar was a Roman general and politician who named himself dictator of the Roman Empire, a rule that lasted less than one year before he was famously assassinated by political rivals in 44 B.C.
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Some say the city of Rome was founded on the Palatine Hill by Romulus, son of Mars, the god of war. Others say that Aeneas and some of his followers escaped the fall of Troy and established the town. Regardless of which of the many myths one prefers, no one can doubt the impact of ancient Rome on western civilization. A people known for their military, political, and social institutions, the ancient Romans conquered vast amounts of land in Europe and northern Africa, built roads and aqueducts, and spread Latin, their language, far and wide. Use these classroom resources to teach middle schoolers about the empire of ancient Rome.
Julius Caesar was a Roman general and politician who named himself dictator of the Roman Empire, a rule that lasted less than one year before he was famously assassinated by political rivals in 44 B.C.
The Roman Republic describes the period in which the city-state of Rome existed as a republican government (from 509 B.C. to 27 B.C.), one of the earliest examples of representative democracy in the world.
Hannibal was a Carthaginian general who fought against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War (219 B.C. to 203 B.C.).