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Cicero. Part 1/4: The Rising Star

© Bingley

Cicero was born on 3 January 106 BC. His family was from the town of Arpinum, about 70 miles south-east of Rome. The name Cicero means chickpea, and stemmed from an ancestor who had a wart at the end of his nose, which looked like a chickpea.

Cicero studied literature, philosophy and law in Rome. His studies were interrupted by a spell of military service under Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo during the Social War (the war Rome fought (90-88) against its Italian allies which ended with the extension of Roman citizenship to the whole of Italy south of the Po). He claims to have supported Sulla in the upheavals of the 80s without actually taking up arms.

In 80, Cicero appeared as the advocate defending Sextus Roscius of Ameria against a charge of parricide. He defended Roscius by turning the accusation of murder back on one of Roscius' accusers, his relation Titus Roscius Magnus, and another relation, Titus Roscius Capito. What caused a sensation was Cicero's claim that Chrysogonus, one of Sulla's freedmen, had assisted in covering up the murder and, for his pains, had bought the lion's share of the dead man's property at a rock bottom price - a claim that could easily be seen, despite all Cicero's protestations to the contrary, as an attack on Sulla himself. Sextus Roscius was acquitted and Cicero was famous.

Soon afterwards, Cicero took on another politically sensitive case, that of a woman from Arretium, in which he criticised Sulla for depriving the people of Arretium of their citizenship. Cicero then left for Greece, perhaps for health reasons (his digestion was never good), or perhaps because he felt a discreet absence might be wise, or perhaps a bit of both.

He used this time to continue his studies of philosophy in Athens. Here he renewed his acquaintance with Titus Pomponius Atticus, who was to become a life-long friend and correspondent. Although he was attracted by Antiochus of Ascalon's lecturing style, Cicero's own philosophical leanings were towards the sceptical position of the philosophers known as the New Academy. Cicero did consider settling in Athens, but after the death of Sulla (78), he left for the Roman province of Asia (now Western Turkey) and Rhodes where he studied oratory. On his return to Rome (77) he resumed his career as an advocate.

In 75, he became quaestor and served in Sicily, securing the grain supply. The Sicilians' gratitude for his fair, if strict, administration led to their approaching Cicero to undertake the prosecution of Verres, who had just completed his term of office (73-71) as governor of Sicily, for extortion. Cicero did so (70), although he first had to argue before the courts that he, and not Quintus Caecilius Niger, who had been quaestor under Verres and was expected to put up only a token prosecution to ensure Verres' acquittal, should be the prosecutor.