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CICERO 106 - 43 BC Roman Statesman |
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Cicero was Rome's greatest orator and profilic writer
of verse and letters, and works of politics and rethoric.
Marcus Tullius Cicero studied in Rome and Greece and won his first fame as a defence lawyer. As consul in 63 BC he crushed the conspiracy of Catiline. He declined to support the triumvirate of Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus. He had to leave Rome briefly and when he came back he turned to writing essays on philosophy, oratory, and politics. His letters, of which almost 1,000 survive, had great influence on later generations. Caesar and Cicero were reconciled after Pompey's defeat, but in 44 BC Cicero approved of Caesar's murder and as the unofficial leader of the Senate he launched a great attack on Mark Antony in a series of 14 speeches, known as 'Philippics. He was, however, unable to prevent an alliance of Antony with Octavian (Augustus). Cicero was captured and put to death. |
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www link : Biography
From the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy |