Cicero

Marcus Tullius Cicero (Latin: Marcus Tullius Cicero; January 3, 106 BC - December 7, 43 BC) was a philosopher, politician, lawyer, writer, and orator in the late Roman Republic. Born into a wealthy family of the knightly class, he devoted himself to law and politics at a young age, and later served as consul of the Roman Republic in 63 BC. At the same time, because of his speeches and literary works, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest orators and most influential prose writers in ancient Rome. In the political crisis of the late Roman Republic, he was a loyal defender of the liberalism represented by the Republic and a political enemy of Mark Antony. He supported the constitution of ancient Rome and was therefore considered the ancient pioneer of the doctrine of separation of powers. He was elected consul in 63 BC and was later assassinated by Antony in Formia. Cicero made considerable contributions to the development of Latin due to the literary achievements of his works. He was a famous literary figure in Rome at the time. His majestic oratory style, witty essays, fluent prose, and mastery of eloquence set the literary style of classical Latin. Cicero was also a researcher of ancient Greek philosophy. Through translation, he introduced many works of Greek philosophy to the Romans, allowing the study of Greek philosophy to continue after Greece was conquered by Rome. Cicero's influence in ancient Rome waned during the Medieval Era, but was revived during the Renaissance. Petrarch rediscovered Cicero's letters in the 14th century, which began a re-study of Cicero by Renaissance scholars. Therefore, some scholars believe that the Renaissance was essentially a revival of Cicero, and through him the rest of classical ancient culture was revived. Cicero's influence reached its peak in the Age of Enlightenment, and those influenced by his political philosophy included Locke, Hume, Montesquieu and other philosophers. Adams, Hamilton and others often quoted Cicero's works in their works. It can be said that Cicero's republican ideas have profoundly influenced European philosophy and political theory, and are still the subject of research in Roman history.