Thinkers Timeline

Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman lawyer, statesman, philosopher, and writer. He is one of the most influential figures in the history of Western law and political thought. He was born on 3 January 106 BCE in Arpinum, a small town about 70 miles south-east of Rome. His family was wealthy but not noble. They belonged to the equestrian class, the second tier of Roman society below the senators. His parents wanted him to rise. They sent him to Rome and then to Greece for the best education available. He studied law, rhetoric (the art of public speaking), and philosophy. By his mid-twenties he was working as a lawyer in Rome. He rose quickly. He became famous for his speeches in court cases. In 63 BCE, at the age of 43, he was elected consul, the highest political office in Rome. That year he uncovered the Catiline Conspiracy, a plot to overthrow the Roman state. The Senate executed the conspirators on Cicero's authority. The Romans gave him the title 'Father of the Country'. His later career was difficult. He was exiled briefly in 58 BCE. The Roman Republic was collapsing. Julius Caesar took dictatorial power. After Caesar was assassinated in 44 BCE, Cicero attacked Mark Antony in a series of fierce speeches called the Philippics. Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate and made lists of enemies to be killed. Cicero was on the list. He was caught and executed on 7 December 43 BCE, aged 63. His severed head and hands were displayed in the Roman Forum.