He likewise indulged in writing poetry and, despite the rather harsh judgment of posterity, he was, according to Plutarch
(Cicero 2), the finest poet of his day. Amid such legal and literary activity Cicero maintained an incredibly active correspondence with his closest friend and confidant, Atticus; his brother, Quintus; and many other associates. The nearly one thousand letters that have survived are a veritable treasure trove, providing the greatest single source of information about Roman life and politics of that era. Although a
novus homo (new man—one who had no ancestors who had attained high political office in Rome before him), Cicero managed to secure election to all the highest magistracies at the earliest possible age. He remained a significant figure in the Roman political scene of the late Republic-along with the likes of Pompey, Marcus Crassus, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and Octavius—for most of his life. His dream of a
concordia ordinum (harmony of social classes) and a
consensus omnium bonorum (consensus of like-minded patriots), fashioned during his consulship and in subsequent years, was never fully realized.
This is a free page. This page contains 151 words. This
biography contains 9,230 words (approx. 31 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Biography with our Marcus Tullius Cicero Access Pass.
