The Voice of the Republic: Cicero in a World That Was Falling Apart

The Voice of the Republic: Cicero in a World That Was Falling Apart

I have been finding out about the era surrounding Cleopatra. So I’m going to be find out a little more about Marcus Tullius Cicero. He is often remembered for his speeches and influence, but he seems more like a man who was caught between ideals and a fastly changing world.

Cicero was born in 106 BC in Arpinum, not into one of Rome’s oldest noble families, but into a wealthy equestrian one. He was ambitious, but he also knew he had something to prove. He was educated and had determination, this combination helped him to rise in Roman politics. He became known as one of the greatest orators of his time. By 63 BC, he had reached the height of his career, he was serving as consul. During that year, he uncovered and suppressed the Catiline conspiracy. 

As power struggles started to intensify, he found that he was being pushed aside and he was even  exiled in 58 BC. Although he did return to Rome, the political world had completely shifted. Figures like Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus dominated, and Cicero was often left trying to navigate between them, and holding onto his belief in the Republic.

After Caesar’s assassination on the 15th of March 44 BC, Cicero may have felt a sense of hope and he spoke out against Mark Antony. He delivered a series of speeches known as the Philippics. But this was  dangerous. When the Second Triumvirate was formed, Cicero was declared an enemy of the state. In 43 BC, he was captured and executed. Accounts say his hands and head were displayed in the Roman Forum, a brutal end.

Was Cicero brave for holding onto his ideals, or was he simply unable to adapt to a new reality?