Cicero is one of the most important historical figures of classical antiquity. He rose from a provincial family to become consul at Rome in 63 BC and continued to play an active role in politics before his murder under the triumvirs Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus. He also engaged in Roman intellectual culture, writing key works on both rhetoric and philosophy. We have a very large body of written evidence by and about him - far more than for any other figure of the Roman Republic - including private correspondence not intended for publication. However, previous biographers - in mapping his political career - have mostly overlooked his other activities. Taking a broader perspective enables a much fuller and richer profile of him to emerge. This epochal new portrait of Rome's great orator offers a more complete picture of the man, his personality, and his works in the overall context of his remarkable life.
