Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman Orator
Philosopher, Politician and Historian Famous for Academica
Apr 12, 2009
Cicero was a Roman polymath: an orator, philosopher, historian, and a senior politician. Although he opposed Julius Caesar, he took no part in his assassination. As a leader of the senate he attacked Marc Antony. He also exposed Cataline's conspiracy.
Life of Cicero in a Nutshell
Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43BC) or Tully came from humble beginnings but rose to prominence among the conservative Roman aristocracy. As a youth he traveled and studied in Greece, and maintained a firm interest in philosophy.
He maintained friendships with philosophers from all the leading schools but it after his retirement that he devoted his final years to translating large parts of the Greek corpus into Latin. Much of today's knowledge of Greek thought is due to Cicero's translations and he remains a primary source for students of Hellenistic philosophy.
Cicero's Philosophy
His philosophy comprises a mixture of skepticism in the theory of knowledge and stoicism in ethics. He was critical of all things Epicurean. His dialogues are principally the influence of leading Greek philosophical schools.
Latin as Cicero's Philosophical Vocabulary
The philosophical vocabulary he invented is responsible for Latin becoming the primary philosophical language over Greek, despite invention of modern languages, which meant that Latin remained the primary language of philosophy right up until the Renaissance.
Even the influential Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy (1641), was first written in Latin before its French translation. So is Descartes' "I think, therefore I am" which is still referred to as The Cogito.
Today, many of these Latin phrases are used widely, including a priori ("prior to experience"), a posteriori ("derived from experience"), ceteris paribus (a caveat meaning "other things being equal") and caveat emptor ("let the buyer beware") among others.
Cicero's Political Orations
In 63 BC, he exposed a plot by the politician Cataline to overthrow the Senate of Rome. Cicero's speeches to the ruling body of Rome became known as the Cataline Orations. When Octavian came to power, Antony persuaded him to have Cicero executed. Among Aside from Cataline orations, Cicero's other greatest speech was orations against Phillipics, both defenses of the republic in answer to Marc Antony.
Cicero's Works
Academica (45 BC) is considered Cicero's most important work. It deals with the impossibility of certain knowledge, the De Finibus and De Officiis, in which he discusses the ends of human action and the rules of right conduct.
The Tusculan Disputations (45 BC) deals with the problems of human emotions and death, and On the Nature of Gods and On Divination, both concerned with theological matters.
His stoic philosophical words include De Amicina (On Friendship) and De officius (On Duties.) He also wrote a number of works on rhetoric.
His many letters are a rich source of information on Roman life and politics.
Sources:
- Clark, John, Ed. Illustrated Biographical Dictionary. London: Chancellor Press, 1978.
- McGovern, Una, Ed. Biographical Dictionary. Edinburgh: Chambers/Harrap Publishers, 2002.
- Stokes, Philip. Philosophy: The Great Thinkers. London: Arcturus Publishing, 2007.
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