Cicero 's Life Project Paper About Cicero

Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Augustus was born on July 12th or 13th, 100BC into the prestigious Julius clan. He and his family were closely related to the Marion faction in Roman politics. Caesar started to progress within the Roman political system. He became a succession quaestor in 69 BC, aedile in 65 BC, and praetor in 62 BC.61-60 BC he served as governor of the Roman Province of Spain. Later in Rome in 60 BC, Caesar made a pact with Pompey and Crassus, which helped

Both Marcus Aurelius and Cicero try to create a guide, based on their stoic views, on how a person is supposed to live a purposeful life. Marcus Aurelius was an emperor and Cicero was a politician, so both serve somebody or something. In Cicero’s “On Friendship” he bases his guides on what he has learned from important people in his life. In Marcus Aurelius’ “Meditations” he bases his guide off of what he has learned as an emperor with stoic views. Some of what he Aurelius has learned is different from Cicero’s view of stoicism; an example of this is in section seven of Meditations. Section seven of Meditations is about what Aurelius learned from his tutor. He states, “Endure hardship, and have few needs; to do things for myself and not

Among all of the famous writings originating from Rome, Cicero’s oratory is the most analyzed and admired by translators. Cicero, who held power to what is similar to a judge, was defending Caelius Rufus. Caelius, who was a past student of Cicero, was charged with political violence. The trial is mostly focusing on Caelius for taking gold for the attempted murder of Dio of Alexandria as well as poisoning a woman named Clodia. Cicero made an effective introduction about Caelius to show that he is not guilty of these charges. Hence,  the trial begins on a high note for Caelius.

On March 15, 44 BCE, Julius Caesar was attacked by a group of conspirators and died within minutes due to multiple stab wounds. Before he was murdered, he was an adored consul of Rome, though some people believed he was gaining too much control and had to be stopped. While there were many conspirators and it is difficult to pin the blame on any specific person, the Casca brothers delivered the fatal blow. Therefore, they are responsible for the death of Julius Caesar.

Background Cicero was one of the greatest orators in Ancient Rome. He was not of noble birth, but in 64 BCE became consul, one of the most powerful offices in the Roman Republic. Cicero's time as consul was difficult, and he successfully prevented an overthrow of the Republic and his own assassination. Once Julius Caesar began to amass more and more personal power, however, he receded from active politics because he believed the ideals of the Republic would be diffused with tyranny. Once Caesar was assassinated, Cicero again became popular but because of his dislike (public and private) of Mark Antony, as Antony's power grew, Cicero's diminished. He was killed in December 43 BCE after being declared an enemy of the Republic.

The three main sources used in this essay are Julius Caesar by Joshua J. Mark, Caesar, Julius by Justin Cornfield, and The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius. The twelve Caesars by Suetonius is the only contemporary source; Suetonius lived and wrote the book within one hundred years of Julius’ death. The twelve caesars is the most reliable because it is a contemporary source. Historians do not know much about his education when he was a child up to when his father died, but they know that he studies rhetoric later in life.

In his letters to Atticus, Cicero frequently wrote about the social and political life in Rome. We get a great idea of what the Roman Republic was like with his speeches, books, but specifically his letters. He enjoyed writing to Atticus about the problems he saw with the government and complained to him about the officials and inherited wealth of Roman men. If he was alive during the time of Nero’s rule we would expect to read and see letters to his friends about Nero’s wealth and incapability to rule. Cicero would have been enraged with him about the Great Fire of Rome just as Pliny, Suetonius, and Dio Cassius were. According to one article by Keresztes, “Of the earliest surviving sources, Pliny the Elder, Suetonius and Dio Cassius all,

     Cicero was a member of the Senate during the time of Catiline’s Conspiracy. His life was

Cicero has an innate ability for persuasion, flawlessly weaving together words and using literary strategies to form engaging arguments allowing him to win over many of his listeners. Even today he has a strong impact as he has convinced me, though I know not entirely aware his or Catiline's political standings. Cicero has lead me to believe at the very least that his reasoning for allowing Catiline to flee is sound and a well planned strategic move. However I find that the running theme in this speech, what would be the most persuasive element to the Consul and to Catiline is fear. We read as Cicero relentlessly bombarded Catiline with the facts against him, telling him he may leave of his own occurred or rick his life. We also read of Cicero

Cicero’s essay, titled On Duties, presents a practical approach concerning the moral obligations of a political man in the form of correspondence with his young son. Essential to the text, the incentive for Cicero to undertake On Duties emerges from his depleted hope to restore the Republic within his lifetime. Cicero therefore places such aspirations in the hands of his posterity. The foremost purpose of On Duties considers three obstacles, divided into separate Books, when deciding a course of action. Book I prefatorily states, “in the first place, men may be uncertain whether the thing that falls under consideration is an honorable or a dishonorable thing to do” (5). Cicero addresses the ambiguities present under this consideration and

Cicero’s definition of duty is a term in which in this course, is far reached than what we would have ever thought duty would stand for. Defining duty can be said to be a commitment or obligation to someone or something that causes them to pursue a certain action. Duty is split into two parts which consist of dealing with what is the “supreme” good and second, practicing rules which are strictly regulated in all means of daily life. Another classification of duties are duties which are middle or complete. Complete duty is link to being what is “right”. Middle duty is the reasoning behind why has it been done. When Cicero writes about individual activism we consider the duties that are honorable and dishonorable. What is honorable or

Julius Caesar's early life and class growing up set him along a path as a politician and leader from the start. Gaius Julius Caesar is said to have been born in the year 100 BC. Born to politically active parents, Gaius Julius Caesar and Aurelia Cotta, Caesar was exposed to the growing types of government

Sulla was using all that powers in his repeiteur to change Rome in ways that he saw fit. He established a consul, disbanded legions, and resigned as dictator giving the power the consul, which aloud Rome to chose its leader. Sulla had 2 consulships and then went to live on privately were he died 2 years later.

Even though he was extremely unpopular, being in possession of the wealth he was, he was able to buy his way through the senate to the height of power. Caesar had majestically rose to power, partaking in every major position there was, using his political ingenious in his attempt to gain full control of Rome. After Crassus had died in battle, and Caesars’ army defeated and killed Pompey, he was quick to mop up all his opposition from the senate and the oligarchs across the Mediterranean and throughout Rome, in his first step to his dictatorship, his dictatorship being the final step to the republics decline. After defeating all of his enemies, Julius Caesar was granted a 10-year dictatorship for purposes of restoring the republic, similar to the title that Sulla had granted himself many years previous. However he constituted himself as the Divine King or Ruler of Rome, essentially a REX, yet as said before, since the founding of the Republic, the Romans prided themselves on freedom from the Etruscan King, and just the term ‘King’ went against the republic mentality. Eventually killed in plot involving over 60 senators, the death of Caesar concluded the decline of the Republic.

In these texts of Cicero,Luther and St.Augustine,we are able to discern numerous similarities,but also some slight differences related to the perception of the circumstances that surrounds each author. Cicero was a Roman statesman,he loved Rome and its institutional organization,but the political intrigues and his enemies were more powerful than his convictions. Saint Augustine was a Christian bishop in a time where Rome was heading to disaster,and everybody tried to blame the Christians for it,at the end, the brute force of the pagan sword was able to end up with one of the Christian Fathers,but they couldn't silent his words to be transmitted to the following generations. Martin Luther was a German priest,who,with a simple review of the dogmas of the Catholic Church,was able to start a new religious movement,the Protestant Reformation. All of them were great thinkers,but