Marcus Tullius Pompey: A Hero Of Rome
Marcus Tullius Cicero was born in 106 BC and died in 43 BC when, according to Plutarch, two men came to execute him. His last words to them were “There is nothing proper about what you are doing, soldier, but do try to kill me properly.” He was born to a wealthy family with connections in Rome, but no one in his family had previously been a senator, making him novus homo. However, through his brilliance as an orator and advocate in court cases he ran for consul at the minimum age for the office, as a novus homo and won the seat, it had been thirty years since any novus homo had reached the consulship.[1]
Cicero was a man of principle, who on several occasions chose the honorable route even though it would mean creating dangerous …show more content…
However, there were those who were afraid that he would use his army of loyal veterans to take power for himself. Pompey was a hero of Rome upon his return and lacked the political desire to seize the throne of a despot. Upon returning to Rome he disbanded his army, refusing to use it to make himself an absolute ruler. Cicero dreamt of forging a strong alliance of himself serving as the wise philosopher advisor and Pompey as the popular general and leader. He laid great praise upon Pompey: “Pompey made his preparations for the war at the end of winter, entered upon it at the commencement of spring, and finished it in the middle of the summer.”[5] During his time as consul, before Pompey’s return, he made Pompey’s political interests his own because he believed Pompey was the just ruler he had been looking …show more content…
The fact is, we showed the courage of men, the prudence of children. The tree was felled, but not cut up by the roots. Accordingly, you see how it is sprouting up.”[11] Cicero here is referring to the tree of tyranny, a tree that will blot out the sun and slowly choke the smaller plants in the garden as they slowly wilt away, starved from the sunlight. Ultimately, there was nothing Cicero could do to save the Senate, he was only one honest man surrounded by liars and thieves. At that point in Rome’s history her government had effectively become a cleptocracy, with each politician trading favors in the hopes of strengthening their own position. That sort of government is not
Cicero was a man of principle, who on several occasions chose the honorable route even though it would mean creating dangerous …show more content…
However, there were those who were afraid that he would use his army of loyal veterans to take power for himself. Pompey was a hero of Rome upon his return and lacked the political desire to seize the throne of a despot. Upon returning to Rome he disbanded his army, refusing to use it to make himself an absolute ruler. Cicero dreamt of forging a strong alliance of himself serving as the wise philosopher advisor and Pompey as the popular general and leader. He laid great praise upon Pompey: “Pompey made his preparations for the war at the end of winter, entered upon it at the commencement of spring, and finished it in the middle of the summer.”[5] During his time as consul, before Pompey’s return, he made Pompey’s political interests his own because he believed Pompey was the just ruler he had been looking …show more content…
The fact is, we showed the courage of men, the prudence of children. The tree was felled, but not cut up by the roots. Accordingly, you see how it is sprouting up.”[11] Cicero here is referring to the tree of tyranny, a tree that will blot out the sun and slowly choke the smaller plants in the garden as they slowly wilt away, starved from the sunlight. Ultimately, there was nothing Cicero could do to save the Senate, he was only one honest man surrounded by liars and thieves. At that point in Rome’s history her government had effectively become a cleptocracy, with each politician trading favors in the hopes of strengthening their own position. That sort of government is not