Roman philosopher, diplomat, lawyer, orator, political theorist, Roman consul and constitutionalist
106 BCE
to 43 BCE
Marcus Tullius Cicero (January 3, 106 BCE – December 7, 43 BCE; sometimes anglicized as Tully, is a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, orator, political theorist, Roman consul and constitutionalist.
He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.
He introduces the Romans to the chief schools of Greek philosophy and creates a Latin philosophical vocabulary (with neologisms such as humanitas, qualitas, quantitas, and essentia) distinguishing himself as a linguist, translator, and philosopher.
Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credited for initiating the 14th-century Renaissance.
The peak of Cicero's authority and prestige came during the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, and his impact on leading Enlightenment thinkers such as Locke, David Hume, and Montesquieu was substantial.
His works rank among the most influential in European culture, and today still constitute one of the most important bodies of primary material for the writing and revision of Roman history, especially the last days of the Roman Republic.
Though he is an accomplished orator and successful lawyer, Cicero believes his political career is his most important achievement.
It is during his consulship that the Catiline conspiracy attempts the government overthrow through an attack on the city from outside forces, and Cicero suppresses the revolt by executing five conspirators without due process.
During the chaotic latter half of the 1st century BCE marked by civil wars and the dictatorship of Gaius Julius Caesar, Cicero champions a return to the traditional republican government.
Following Julius Caesar's death, Cicero becomes an enemy of Mark Antony in the ensuing power struggle, attacking him in a series of speeches.
He is proscribed as an enemy of the state by the Second Triumvirate and subsequently murdered in 43 BCE.
