Marcus Tullius Cicero

Paper Summary:

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the differing behaviors of Cicero within "Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician" by Anthony Everitt. Although Cicero is often historically described as a moral and unbiased figure within Roman politics, his self-serving and ambitious nature is often overlooked. The paper discusses how Everitt makes a clear case for this within his book, which reveals the error of Cicero's motivations for the Roman government.The paper also analyzes how Cicero's lack of forgiveness and spite ended his attempts to restore justice and virtue to Rome. In essence, the paper evaluates the self-serving and ruthless behaviors of Cicero within Everitt's historical analysis.

From the Paper:

"The first part of Everitt's historical analysis instills the early ambitions of Cicero's father to instill in his son a good education, which would prepare him for a life in government. Everitt makes this clear when he states: "Cicero's father had high ambitions for his two sons and made sure they were given a good schooling" (Everitt 27). This course of thought is continually discussed within the book, especially when it becomes clear that Cicero actually follows his father's wishes to find fame through his education in the Roman government. Of course, Cicero came from an upper class family and connections with the very heart of the Roman Empire, the City of Rome. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Everitt, Anthony. Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician. New York: Random House, 2003.

More papers on Marcus Tullius Cicero:

• Essay # 63812 : "Cicero"
• Essay # 21327 : "On the Commonwealth" by Marcus Tullius Cicero"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: