Cicero's Accomplishments

Cicero was one of the great orators of ancient Greece, who, if alive today, would be a leader to look up to. As an orator, politician, lawyer, and philosopher he played a large part in the preservation of the roman empire. Cicero was not born into a noble household, but he was able to achieve many great accomplishments which we still feel the effects of today. He also had many skills and virtues which through his life defined him as a good leader.

Born in 106 BC Cicero began his life as a scholar, excelling in his studies. As he grew, he studied the field of law under Quintus Mucius Scaevola, one of the greatest lawyers of Rome at the time. After practicing law for some time, Cicero traveled to Greece where he learned philosophy and
Plutarch writes,

“Nevertheless, he was always excessively pleased with his own praise, and continued to the very last to be passionately fond of glory; which often interfered with the prosecution of his wisest resolutions.”

Cicero continued working for this selfish motive until he returned from Greece. He had originally sailed there in order to escape any repercussions after he had successfully proven Sulla’s right-hand men guilty of murder. During his stay in Greece, Cicero learned the art of philosophy and rhetoric. I believe that this is the point where Cicero’s point of view was changed. Rather than striving for personal praise and glory, Cicero began to aim towards the preservation of the Republic.

Not only was Cicero an ambitious lawyer and politician but he was an active translator. He translated a large amount of Greek literature on philosophy into latin. Cicero’s work translating these documents is the reason we can still read some of them. With the combination of the works he translated and the things which Cicero wrote himself, historians are able to get a good idea of what the culture was like in the time period that Cicero