Cicero’s Influence to the Roman Republic and History of the World
The fact that Cicero was one of the best lawyers, orators, and political philosophers in the world, is not surprising to a lot of students, scholars and educated society. However, “Cicero’s heritage is so rich and diversified that something new can always be said” (Habicht 1). Not only the personality of Cicero made him famous till our days, but his works and influence to the history of the Roman Republic and the rest of the world as well.
Marcus Tullius Cicero was born on 3 January 106 B.C.E. in Arpinum, really close to Rome; however, he was born to a family, which did not belong to nobility. His farther, as David Stockton states, belonged to the “the gentry” (Stockton, 1) and, according to R.E. Smith, “enjoyed locally a high repute” and “had connexions and friendships with important families at Rome” (14). Nonetheless, nobody from the family had ever had a position of power at Rome. This fact influenced the whole life of Cicero- he struggled his entire life for recognition by the nobility and politicians and thus to enter politics of the Roman Republic.
Cicero could think about becoming a politician without having a title, because, as Kurt von Fritz points out, new relations between the government and people appeared in Rome during the first century B.C.E. (143). At that time the influence of the Senate was decreasing. People, like Gayus Marius (107-86 B.C.E.), could become consuls without noble heritage. Furthermore, the first dictatorship appeared in Rome after Sula won against the same Gayus Marius in court in 82 B.C.E. These events influenced Cicero and he moved to Greek Plato’s Oratory School, in which oratory and political activity lessons were taught.
The education not only set Cicero’s political future, but influenced him to write the book “About Orator” (“De oratore ad Quintum fratrem libri tres”(Lacey, 122) ). In his book, he pictured an ideal orator, and the book is being analyzed till our days by different politicians and those who need to give speeches. Cicero wrote that a good orator has not only to be able to give good speeches, but has to know Greek philosophy, Roman political practice, ethics, psychology, law and history, and know how to use the power of oratory in politics. Cicero also studied philosophy form Fraid, Filone from Lairs, socialized with Diodes and contemporary famous lawyer Scevlola Augur, and studied Greek philosophers on his own account.
Cicero not only worked hard before he could demonstrate his lawyer’s and orator’s skills in court, but he also was very talented and could learn fast. His knowledge and talents helped him to succeed in his career. As Smith says, “the seeds he sowed grew quickly, and the reaper as quickly gathered his harvest” (30). Cicero defended Sextum Roscium in court, who was accused of killing his farther in 79 B.C.E. After that in 76 B.C.E. Cicero became popular and got involved in politics. At first, he became a quaestor in Sicily, where he fought against corruption. Cicero proved Verrrem’s guilt of taking bribes through his speech “In Verrem” (against Verrem) in 70 B.C.E. After the court Cicero became known as the most famous orator in Rome and was elected at first to edile’s position in 69 B.C.E., then to praetor’s position in 66 B.C.E., and, finally, to consul’s post in 63 B.C.E, which allowed him to fight for people’s rights and the republican form of governing.