3. Background: Role and Significance
of Cicero
Cicero was born on 3rd January 106BC to a
wealthy member of the equestrian order. His
father was both wealthy and well
connected, however due to a physical
disability he had not travelled to Rome to
pursue a political career. Instead he
concentrated on his own education.
This passion for learning was also encouraged
for his son. Cicero was educated in the
teachings of the Greek poets, writers and
historians. He translated much Greek
philosophy into Latin, allowing many people
in Rome to read these texts for the first time.
His hard work and intelligence were well
known. It gave him the opportunity to study
law.
Cicero
4. It is no surprise that he was very keen to
establish a political life for himself in Rome
and secure positions within the cursus
honorum. In 90-88BC he fought with Sulla
and Strabo, though he wasn’t cut out to be
a soldier. Nonetheless it was an important
step for him in making and establishing
connections, and aligning himself to the
republicans.
His first major case as a lawyer was around
80BC. Sextus Roscius was accused of
patricide – the killing of his father. This was
considered one of the most extreme crimes
you could commit in Rome. It was a big
deal for Cicero to defend Roscius in this
crime – not only because it was such a big
case with a lot of public and political
interest, but also because of the defence
used by Cicero – he accused Chrysogonus
of being involved in the crime.
The Young Cicero Reading
by Vincenzo Foppa
(fresco, 1464
5. Chrysogonus was one of Sulla’s
favourites. By accusing
Chrysogonus, Cicero was in fact
publically (though indirectly)
challenging Sulla’s dictatorship.
Surprisingly, given the
opportunity for the wrath of
Sulla, Chrysogonus was
acquitted.
His first office was as quaestor.
He served his quaestorship in
Sicily which led to the people of
the area asking him to represent
their interests and prosecute
Verres for his crimes
Cicero accuses Verres
6. Verres had been governing a
province of Sicily. Unfortunately he
was corrupt – stealing wealth and
money, and misgoverning for his own
gain. He charged business owners
incredibly high taxes, he would
cancel business contracts and give
them instead to those that had given
him a ‘donation’. Temples and
private houses were robbed of their
works of art. He used the emergency
of Spartacus to make some quick
money – he would pick key slaves of
important and wealthy land owners
and accuse them of organising to
join Spartacus’s revolt, and of
causing trouble in the provinces.
Spartacus, marble sculpture by Denis
Foyatier (1830), Louvre Museum
7. He would then sentence the slave to death by
crucifixion – unless of course the slave owner paid a
rather large bribe to have the charge dismissed.
Sometimes it went even further – he would
occasionally make up a slave! He would accuse a slave
that didn’t exist of plotting to join Spartacus – he
would then demand that the wealthy land owner
hand over the slave to the authorities – clearly they
couldn’t do so when the slave didn’t exist – he would
then charge the land owner with hiding the slave and
sentence them to imprisonment – unless of course
they could pay the fine (bribe) to have the charges
dismissed. The court was made up exclusively of
Senators, some of which may have been Verres’
friends. The judge, however, was the honest and
trustworthy Manius Acilius Glabrio – he would not
allow bribery to sway his decisions. Verres was not
happy – he tried to have court proceedings
postponed for a year knowing that his friend Marcus
Caecilius Metellus would be the presiding judge the
following year.
Spartacus and his followers
Crucified along the Appian
way
8. Cicero would allow for none of
these delay tactics and managed
to have the case heard in a
timely fashion. The effect of
Cicero’s first brief speech was so
overwhelming that Hortensius
(Verres’s lawyer) refused to
reply, and recommended his
client leave the country. Before
the expiration of the 9 days
allowed for the prosecution
Verres was on his way to
Massilia. There he lived in exile
until 43 BC, when he was
proscribed by Mark
Antony, apparently for refusing
to surrender some art treasures
that Antony coveted.
Cicero Denounces Catiline
1889 fresco Cesare Maccari
