Marcus Tullius Cicero, who lived from 106 BCE to 43 BCE, was a man who wore many hats: Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, and writer. He became the greatest orator in Rome’s history and penned countless books and letters throughout his life, including speeches, lectures, and philosophical and political pieces. He was also a poet, although little of his verse exists today. But Cicero’s life was far from the quiet, docile existence of a writer who kept to himself. His speeches often raised the hackles of his opponents and others with whom he disagreed, and he was exiled from Rome at one point.
