Unit 4- Cicero 🩵☮️ (including 2nd civil war and context of letters)

Cicero's ideal Rome

- concordia ordinum ('the agreement of the orders')- perfect status quo of clear social order of Rome → involved original constitutional Republic but also uniting optimates + equites in govening Rome

- this ideal challened by poweful individuals (Gracchi brothers and power of tribune, equites having extreme power through armies and Pompey's lack of respect for cursus honorum)

- 'cum diginitate otium' ('leisure with prestige')- absolute social, religious, legal and political harmony (desired after civil violence)

- his values of libertas, duty and stoicism evident in case against Verres and Catiline and his correspondence

- not in favour of democracy though

- made his negative feelings about the populace and their inability to govern state very cleat in his letter to Atticus

- Rome's success lay in

1. Dignitas and power of upper classes (eg: boni)

2. Harmony between optimnates + equites

3. Riling lower classes receive peace and justice due to patronage of boni

Cicero supporting the optimates

- as a novus homo + equity, he needed to build amicitia at all social levels, including with optimates

- 69- aedileship: he defended Fonteius (senator) in court against accusation of extortion

- he had to be careful in 60s due to rising status of 'FT'

- ensure not to displease the optimates, but also not ignore the power/popularity of these individuals

To Atticus (bitterly during time of 'FT' power)- "since the powerless do not want to be my friends i must make sure the powerful are!"

Cicero and Pompey's positive relationship

Positive:

+ 70: Cicero' speech against Verres- P held similar views

+ 66: Pro Lege MAnilia speech, C calls P's talanets "divine" and reminds the people of his past achievements. He risked alienating himself from optimates. He exaggerated danger.

+ 63: De Lege Agraria (against Rullus' land bill)- defended P's interests as it may have been intended as a bargaining counter against him

+ 62: letter to P wishing for an alliance

+ 57: Cicero's returns P campaigned to have C recalled.. eventually with use of 2 tribunes and a senatorial vote, C's exile was successfully revoked

+ 49: Cicero favours P as lesser of 2 evils

Cicero and Pompey's negative relationship

- 67: Lex Gabinia (Cicero (campaigning for praetor) stays quiet)

- 58: Cicero's exile: P did not support C as he was rumoured to be one of P's intended assassins

- 49: "I know whom to flee, but i know not who to follow" (to Atticus Jan): choosing Pompey is not his wish, but a necessity

- 49: to Atticus (Feb)- "P developed Ceasar and then sudddenly ...rejected all offer of peace...Pompey bids a long goodbye to honour..."

Pro lege manilia quote

"Letters arrive every day telling that villages in our provinces are being burnt"

-> some claimed it was exaggerated as an excuse to give P vast power

62- Cicero's letter to Pompey quotes

+ "Trusting so completely in you"

+ "a much greater man than Africanus"

- "the private letter to me contained a slight expression of your affection"

De Lege Agraria/ Rullus' land reform

- Cicero gave speech opposing the bill

- it was to create a commission of 10 men for 5 years who would control redistribution of land (attractive to urban masses)

- bill also supported by Caesar, Crassus and all 10 tribunes

- Cicero bribed Antonio's with offer of province of Macedonia so he would go against bill

Catiline Conspiracy

= 63

- Catiline (patrician man fallen on financial troubles) conspired to overthrown the government

- Caesar has supported Catiline's campaign for consulship against Cicero the year before

- Cicero, as consul, was required to choose punishment (effective, but LEGAL)

- he called an SCU ('Senatus Consultum Ultimum')-> led to him and conspirators being executed for treason, despite their Roman citizenship

- Caesar suggested life imprisonment

- Cato supported Cicero's decision and named him 'parents patriae' for saving the Republic (as stated by Plutarch)

Cicero's exile

= 58

- tribune Clodius introduces law, reasserting illegality of capital punishment even under an SCU!

- Cicero sent into exile from Rome

- Pompey DOES NOT support Cicero's decision as he was rumoured to be one of P's intended assassins

- Cicero DOES NOT support Cicero's decision, but did support Clodius, even adopting him into plebeian order prior so he could stand as tribune

- Cicero exiled to Macedonia and then Dyrrachium

Cicero returns from exile in Dyracchium

= 57

- Pompey campaigned to have Cicero recalled, but was disrupted bu terrible mob violence (Clodius)

- P used 2 tribunes (Sestius and Milo) to guard a senate meeting to allow a vote

- voted passed (ONLY Clodius rejected it)

- exile revoked-> Cicero return to parade of people in streets, welcoming his return!

Cicero attempts to disempower Caesar

= 56

- criticised C's allies during led lawsuits against Clodius

- brought up C's senatorially unpopular Campanian law

- Cicero, seeing a crack in tge 'FT", was trying to alienate e Caesar

- considering the discovery of the conference at Luca as well

Cicero conforming to the triumvirate?!

- Campanian law review was stopped as a result of a request from P to Cicero

- next couple of years, Cicero following 'FT' orders, defending individuals he loathed

- to Atticus "since the powerless dont want to be my friends, i must make sure the powerful are!"

- unlike Cato, he felt he had to loosed his previous principles to maintain power in politics

Political changes and "FT" shifting

54- Julia dies

53- Crassus dies

52:

- Cicero supported by optimate Hortensius to hold augur (still has elite amicitia)

- Cicero defends Milo after he murders Clodius (loses, but stays friendly)

- Pompey consul of Rome and chooses Scipio as co-consul

Cicero's governorship of Cilicia (51)

- Cicero left Rome, united with elite and control of Triumvirate diminished

- as with his quaestorship in Sicily (75), Cicero governed with fairness and diplomacy (opposite of what he condemned Verres for)

- sorted out debts and finiancial problems

Cicero's successful military command in second half of 51

- pushed back hostile tribes that separated Cilicia from Syria

- Cicero hailed 'imperator' by troops, enabling him a triumph

- Cato alone vetoes against this celebration in Rome, describing it as 'empty honours'

Cicero's attempt to prevent war

- in 50 he returns from governorship in Cilicia to Rome

- received letter from Caelius about open warfare between Pompey and Ceasar

- both Pompey and Caesar pleaded Cicero to join their parties

- Cicero was forbidden from entering Rome with his army and so waited outside, hoping to work with P + C separately as a compromise

cicero sides with Pompey

- "i know whom to flee but i know not whom to follow" (To Atticus, March)

- but also angry "Pompey bids a long goodbye to honour"

What happened to Caesar's conspirators? (44)

- Antony raced to Ceasar's house, fearing for his life

- Ceasar's wife Calpurnia gave A all of C's documents including his will and plans

- Compromise made that A as consul could deliver Caesar's plans as long as the conspirators would not be put on trial

- But when will was read out and much was left to the populace, riots broke out + people demanded punishment for the assassins

- assassins fled Rome

- Another part of the will revealed that Caesar adopted nephew Gaius Octavius to be his heir to replace him

- Antony (not wanting to lose power) bribed Caesar's veterans for their military loyalty and secured 5 year command of Gaul

- Cicero left Rome in 44 after being accused of treachery to the Republican cause

Antony versus Cicero- the Philippics (44)

- Cicero failed to attend a meeting of the senate on his first day back (Antony proposing a new holiday in honour of Caesar)

- Antony felt unsupported and made open threats to him in senate (eg: having Cicero's house torn down)

-Cicero appears in senate next day to deliver his first 'Philippic'- an appeal for harmony +critiques of A's policies in the name of Caesar

- in response, A "arrived at the senate with a gang of armed men", but Cicero new not to attend this meeting

- C's second 'Phillipic' portrayed his character as a tyrant and a shame to his family/country

Purpose of Cicero's Philippics against Antony

- to show the roman world that Cicero-the principled traditionalist was back in the political sphere

- Once a pacifist, he was now being pragmatic- better to die a good man than one under the rule of anti-republican!

Philippic quote about lack of harmony

(7.9)- peace has become "disgraceful...dangerous...impossible"

Second civil war

- previously settled rivalry between Antony and Octavian has resurfaced due to a rumour that O planned to kill A

- A leaves Rome, gathers support in Macedonia

- O gathers support within Italy as well as the senate/Cicero (including 2 new consul of 43: Hirtius and Pansa)

- C greatly alienated A within the senate through his Philippics

- 15 April 43: first battle between A and republicans. O successful in Mutina.

- 21 April 43: second battle. A survived and escaped.

- 26 April 43- A declared public enemy by state.

A second triumvirate?!

Antony, Octavian, Lepidus

- O's victory led to further instability

- both consuls died + the senate has disintegrated back into Caesarian VS Pompeian factions

- Antony had successfully re-rallied troops

- Cicero looks to O for troops against A

- but senate are suspicious about rising despotism in O as he wanted consulship again after being previously denied

- Sep 44: Octavian marches north with Lepidus to meet Antony and form an alliance: 'second triumvirate', crushing hopes of Cicero

What was the united aim of the second triumvirate?/Cicero's death.

= Vegnace of Caesar's enemies

= Included proscription list of 300 senators + 2000 equites, including Cicero, his brother and nephew

- assist came to Cicero's villa in Formiae on 7 Dec 43 to kill him

- C bravely offers neck

Cicero and Caesar's positive relationship

Positive:

+ 59: Caesar recognises Cicero's potential power of support (persuasion and oratory skills) and offers Cicero to joint his staff to act as a legate

+ Tempest scholar argument

+ March 49: Cicero attempts to econcile him with Pompey:"...your honour and the republic is also at state as I- a friend of peace and you both..."

+ 47: Cicero finally receives Cesar's pardon alongside friendship ( so he can return from Brundisium to Rome)

Cicero and Caesar's negative relationship

- 63: De Lege Agraria (against Rullus' and bill)- Cicero positions himself against Caesar

- 59: In letter to Atticus, Cicero denies Caesar's offer as he is loyal to his ideals

- 58: Cicero's exile: was seen as removing 2 of the most hostile to Caesar

- 56: Cicero's attempt to disempower C: he brought up Caesar's senatorially unpopular agrarian law (Campanian Law)

- 49: Cicero chose to follow Pompey as lesser of two evils in civil war ("i know whom to fell, but i know not who to follow")

- 46: opposing responses to death of Cato (eulogy 'Cato' vs 'Anti-Cato')

- 44: Caesar's assassination (Cicero congratulates the assassin for what they have done for libertas)

Cicero- sticking to his ideals

- 70: Cicero's case against Verres

- 68 (pro lege manilia (more below))- unlike Cato, he was willing to take a risk and a long-term pragmatic approach to reach his ideals

- 63: Catiline conspiracy= a perfect example of Boni + equity harmony in the face of threat. Cato calls him 'parens patriae'.

- various letters (especially the private one)

- 59: letter to Atticus: Cicero denies Caesar's offer as he is loyal to his ideals

-52: C defends Milo after he murders Clodius (despite loss, they stayed friendly)

- 51: C's governing of Cilicia, with fairness + diplomacy. Sorted out debts. Similar to his queastorship in 75 (performed state duties well)

- 44: his Philippics against Antony and his decision to side with Octavian

- 43: his death (bravely offers neck to the assassins at Formiae on 7 Dec)

Cicero- self-ambition/ straying from ideals

- 69 (aedile) he defended Fonteius (senator) in court against accusation of extortion (contradicts prosecution of Verres??)

- 66: Pro Lege Manilia (supports Pompey as ideal man to fight against Mithridates- Put himself at risk of alienation from optimates as Lucullus (the previous fighter against Mithridates was supported by some of most reputable optimates like Hortensius)

-> subversion: it was very successful:

- he framed his support as m,asking Rome safe and economically stable (appeals o enquires and people)

- praised Lucille's' efforts highly

- laws was passed

- promoted own position and secured votes for consulship

- 63- Rullus' land bill: Cicero BRIBED Antonio's with offer of province of Macedonia so he would go against bill

- mid 50s: Cicero following 'FT' orders, defending individuals he loathed

- to Atticus "since the powerless dont want to be my friends, i must make sure the powerful are!"

- unlike Cato, he felt he had to loosed his previous principles to maintain power in politics

Cicero's letters context

- over 900

- ordered into collections:

1. To Atticus= "Epistulae ad Atticum"

2. To friends/family= "Epistulae ad familiares"

SCHOLAR: M, Grant- Cicero opposition to autocracy

Cicero disliked Caesar and Mark Antony equally, because he was opposed to autocracy in all forms.

(See below)

For:

Against:

SCHOLAR: Tempest- Cicero and Caesar

Cicero hated Antony more, only disliking Caesar ideologically rather than as a person.

For:

- Cicero, a master of orator, never delivered harsh criticism of Caesar

- whereas he did deliver the Phillipics, attacking Antony's policies as well as his character as a tyrant

- cicero writes to Caesar and flatters him, attempting to reconcile him with Pompey

Against:

- rejected Caesar's offer to join his staff as a legate

- bitter words to Atticus in regards to the first triumvirate ion power

SCHOLAR: Tempest- Cicero's pragmatism

Cicero had to translate his 'philosophical musings into political pragmatism'

- he believed the only way to save Rome was from Antony's grasp

- he believed it was okay to break a law to do son to meet the current crisis

- egL he championed the illegally-raised Octavian

SCHOLAR: Vasaly- Cicero's intent to persuade

Cicero cared more about persuading audiences to his view

than informing them about the situation.

For:

- doesn't introduce the actual crime of Verres until last section of his speech

- more concerned with wider issue of corruption and bribery in senatorial courts, rather than crimes of Verres

- presents himself as champion of justice-> leads him to gain favour and offices of state

Against:

- he needed to persuade audience first to make his crimes more significant and actually have him prosecuted

SCHOLAR: Stowers- nature of Cicero's letters

Cicero didn't make a distinction between public and private letters.

For:

- even in a 'private' letter, he struggles to speak completely honestly (eg: 53, to Curio due to the political crisis of time (no consular elections, violence in Rome's streets)

Against:

- difference in tone

- seriousness and profoundness vs intimacy and humour (eg: 50 to Caelius Panthers request)