| − | '''Cicero''' (106-43 BC) (full name '''Marcus Tullius Cicero''') was a [[Roman Empire|Roman]] consul, orator, statesman, lawyer, philosopher, as well as being a prolific writer of books. In the time after the assassination of [[Julius Caesar]], Cicero became one of the most powerful politicians in Rome, and a rival to [[Marc Antony]]. Cicero's attempts to rid himself of Antony failed leading to his death while fleeing the Roman heartland due to the alliance of Antony and [[Octavian]] | + | '''Cicero''' (106-43 BC) (full name '''Marcus Tullius Cicero''') was a [[Roman Empire|Roman]] consul, orator, statesman, lawyer, philosopher, as well as being a prolific writer of books. In the time after the assassination of [[Julius Caesar]], Cicero became one of the most powerful politicians in Rome, and a rival to [[Marc Antony]]. Cicero's attempts to rid himself of Antony failed leading to his death while fleeing the Roman heartland due to the alliance of Antony and [[Octavian]]. What is particularly spectacular about Cicero is that he was a 'new man'. At that time, the Senate was dominated by the same old, noble families, who were often prejudiced against what they viewed as new, unexperienced upstarts. Cicero, depsite being from a poor unknown family, managed to attain the rank of consul, the highest rank in the Republic at that time. |
| | Cicero is considered to be one of the greatest orators and speech writers the world has ever known and a father to modern legalists and barristers. | | Cicero is considered to be one of the greatest orators and speech writers the world has ever known and a father to modern legalists and barristers. |
| − | Cicero was also responsible for unveiling a plot to overthrow the Republic, and his consulship in particular, masterminded by [[Catiline]] among others. | + | Cicero was also responsible for unveiling a plot to overthrow the Republic, and his consulship in particular, masterminded by [[Catiline]] among others. In his defeat of the conspirators, however, he set a dangerous precedent; he allowed the conspirators captured in the city of Rome to be executed without a trial. Caesar, among others, was reported to have argued against this by the historian Sallust. |