Cicero: The Lawyer, The Liar, The Legend
An introduction to the most resilient Roman rhetorician
Marcus Tullius Cicero
Born in 106 BC during the Roman Republic, Cicero is often celebrated as one of the greatest lawyers of his time. But was he also the greatest liar?
With equestrian parents, Cicero was not on the very highest rung of society. That spot was reserved for the senators. But equestrians were on the second rung, meaning his family were wealthy, but not particularly politically active.
Despite this, Cicero was incredibly ambitious and sought to improve his family's name. His dedication to his family and the Republic was unwavering, but he was often dismissed by the elites of Roman aristocracy due to his equestrian status. He was not part of their social circles, but he desperately wanted to be.
This ambition and desperation were critical for the course Cicero’s life took.
Cicero's Many Roles
Most people know Cicero as a politician and a lawyer, but he was much more. He was an orator, a theorist, a writer, and a philosopher. Cicero had a deep interest in public speaking, the theory behind political and legal systems, and the philosophy underpinning laws. These interests were common among high-class Roman men.
Political Pragmatism
Cicero was also quite practical. He understood the requirements of different situations, and would change his opinions or actions to further his career. This flexibility was unusual, as many Roman politicians of the time were stoic and steadfast in their beliefs. They did not change their minds easily.
Writing about writing
Cicero's work on rhetoric, showcased his mastery of public speaking and argumentation. His famous works include de Oratore - “on the orator”, which is about how to be a great public speaker, and de Inventione - “on arguing”, about how to construct a logical argument.
His treatises like de Republica - “about the Republic”, and de Legibus - “on the Laws” provided insights into his views on the function of the Republic and the legal system of Rome.
Letters that Reveal More
Cicero’s letters to his friends and family offer a unique glimpse into his inner thoughts and the political dynamics of the time. The collections of his letters, particularly ad Atticum - “to Atticus”, and ad Familiares - “to friends”, are invaluable resources for understanding Roman life during the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Principate.
These give us a lot of information about Cicero's life and especially his intimate, private thoughts on the situation. What was he thinking about the political goings on at the time? How did he feel about Caesar? About Pompey, or Cato? We can ask this question, read the letters, and get a fairly clear answer.
Cicero lived in a very interesting period of Roman history, the fall of the Republic and the beginnings of the principate - the emperors. Knowing how he really felt about the situation is fascinating, and these letters give us a glimpse of his true opinions.
Significant Cases
During the turmoil of the Republic, Cicero's legal cases are milestones in Roman history. Here are some of the most essential (and my favourites).
Pro Roscio
One of Cicero's first significant cases was defending Roscius on charges of patricide. Cicero successfully secured Roscius's acquittal, arguing that he did not have the opportunity, the means, or the motive for doing such a thing. And Cicero was very successful. Roscius was an influential man. Having gotten Roscius off this charge of patricide was only good for Cicero's career.
In Verrem
In 70 BC, Cicero prosecuted the governor of Sicily, Verres. Verres was a very wealthy, very well liked, very high class Roman senator. It was a case of extortion: Verres was accused by the people of Sicily of extorting their province of their money and treasures.
His thorough preparation and relentless character assassination led to Verres's self-imposed exile. Verres actually only stayed for the first two days, and then was advised by his own lawyer, Hortensius, the greatest lawyer in Rome, to leave the city voluntarily. So Hortensius was beaten by Cicero, and this cemented Cicero's standing as the up and coming greatest lawyer in Rome.
Pro Cluentio
In 66, he accepted the role as Cluentius's lawyer. Cluentius was from an old family in Lurinum, a town in Italy. He was charged with murder - the murder of his mother's new husband.
What's interesting about the Pro Cluentio is that Cicero doesn't necessarily say, Cluentius didn't murder his stepfather. He does say that Cluentius is an excellent man of good character but he's mainly focused on a character assassination, again a takedown, of Cluentius's stepfather and Cluentius's mother, Sassia. What he says is to the effect of: Cluentius’ stepfather (and his mother) are such terrible people that would anyone really blame him if he did poison the man?
Again, Cicero was very successful, and later boasted of “throwing dust in the eyes of the jury”. So we assume, therefore, Cluentius probably did kill his stepfather.
The Catiline Conspiracy
At this point, we come to Catiline. Cicero's exposure of Catiline's conspiracy to overthrow the Republic was a defining moment.
Catiline was a senator, and he had run for the consulship, the highest elected office you can achieve in Rome. It's like a prime minister, but there's two of them, and they share power for one year.
Now, Catiline did not win the election. In fact, he lost to Cicero, and so he decided to overthrow the system of government. In an incredible oration, in 63 BC, Cicero revealed the conspiracy and called it a threat to the Republic.
Cicero's powerful oration forced Catiline to flee, leading to the arrest and execution of other conspirators. This earned Cicero the title parens patriae (parent/protector of the country) from the Optimates, the elite senators he had always wanted to impress.
This speech was an amazing jewel in Cicero's crown. Not only was he the consul for this year, he was also the saviour of the Republic.
(Or at least, he continually references himself as such in his later works)
Pro Milone
In 52, he was representing Milo, a gang leader, in effect, who was accused of murdering a rival gang leader. Cicero considered it part of his duty to represent Milo in this factional war. He was on the same side of the political spectrum as Milo and so felt himself duty bound to represent him.
In this case, Cicero was unsuccessful. He could not get Milo off this charge, mainly because everyone knew that Milo had done committed the crime. However, he was still thanked by Milo before Milo went off into exile.
Cicero's Role in the Civil War
In 49 BC, civil war broke out in Rome between Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great. Initially, Cicero was very indecisive. Should he be with Pompey and the rest of the senators to “defend the Republic”, or should he join Caesar and have greater influence in Rome to hopefully be in a position to restore the Republic?
Eventually, he sided with Pompey and the Optimates, the senatorial class aiming to preserve the Republic. However, it became clear that the Optimates were not winning, and so he defected from the Optimates. He returned to Italy and waited for Caesar to return from the Civil War to ask for forgiveness.
This meant that he was allowed to remain in Italy and put him in a prime political position after Caesar was assassinated in 44.
The Philippics and Cicero's Death
The Philippics are Cicero’s scathing speeches against Mark Antony, who wanted to come out on top of the power vacuum that had been left when Caesar was assassinated. Cicero's speeches, known as the Philippics, were scathing attacks on Mark Antony. Some were given as speeches, but most were circulated as pamphlets to the high society of Rome to be read at their own leisure.
As we've seen before, Cicero was very good at character assassination, and that's what these were for Mark Antony. They talk about his sexual preferences, they talk about his vices, his drinking, his gambling, his ruination of the Roman image.
Antony's response was lethal. In 43 BC, Cicero’s name appeared on a proscription list drawn up by Antony, meaning he could legally be killed and his property seized. leading to his assassination. Cicero at this point was very wealthy and so lots of bounty hunters were more than happy to kill him.
Showing courage until his final moments, Cicero faced his attackers head-on, presenting his neck cleanly to them for the path of the sword. The assassins hacked off his head and both of his hands, bringing them back to Mark Antony as proof.
Antony's wife infamously mutilated Cicero's tongue, stabbing it repeatedly with her hairpin for what he had said, a testament to the impact of his words on the entire Antony family.
Ciceronian Conclusion
Cicero's life, marked by significant cases, political ambition, and philosophical contributions, leaves us to ponder: was he the greatest lawyer or the greatest liar? What do you think of him? Let me know in the comments!
Learn Latin
If you'd like to read some of these cases or speeches at their most powerful, you're going to have to learn the Latin language because it's the best way to get to grips with the material. So to start your Latin journey, sign up for my workshop.
It's on demand video training to learn Latin in just one hour, and it is completely free. It's got the fundamentals of grammar and vocabulary, and I'll go through the five biggest mistakes people make when they're learning. You'll get all my free guides as well!
Free 1-on-1 Tutoring Trial
If you need support in your learning journey, then look no further. Private tutoring sessions are now available through bambasbat!
Find out more here, or sign up for your free trial session below!
Thanks so much for joining me, and I'll see you next time on bambasbat.