Cicero Timeline

Cicero successfully prosecutes Verres for extortion, and conducts the case brilliantly, making himself famous among the law courts of Rome.

He is made Aedile because of his great skill as an orator, which makes him excellent at convincing the public to vote for him.

He is made praetor and delivers De Imperio Gn. Pompei, a speech supporting the transfer of the command to Pompey. Cicero then foregoes the governship of a province for the upcoming election of the consuls.

He is elected consul, with Gaius Antonius, whose consent Cicero buys by yielding to him the governorship of Macedonia for the following year. Cicero delivers Pro Murena, in defense of one of the consuls for 62 who had been accused by Cato of rigging the polls.

Clodius is tribune of the people and declares Cicero an exile for dismissal of Roman citizenship

Renewal of “First Triumvirate”. Cicero delivers in the senate the speech De Provinciis Consularibus, in favour of Caesar.

Tullia marries Furius Crassipes. Cicero publishes De Oratore, on rhetoric, and In Pisonem, a dangerous speech because it attacked Calpurnius Piso, Caesar’s father-in-law.

Cicero publishes De Re Publica (On the Republic) and is governor of Cilicia from summer 51 to summer 50.

Tullia, against her father’s judgment, decides to remarry Cornelius Dolabella.

Caesar crosses the Rubicon on the 11th January causing the beginning of a civil war. After a personal meeting with Caesar on the 28th March, Cicero decides not to attend the session of the senate which Caesar has called in Rome, and subsequently joins the camp of Pompey in Greece – aggravating Caesar.

Pompey is defeated, and therefore murdered, so Caesar is appointed dictator. In October Cicero returns to Italy, but unfortunately on the orders of Mark Antony can go no farther than Brundisium.

In September he meets Caesar, who gives him permission to go where he likes.

Cato commits suicide, and Cicero writes an eloquent tribute. Caesar’s rebuttal to this, Anticato, strives unsuccessfully to tarnish Cato’s name. Cicero then divorces Terentia and marries Publilia, a teenager with money who is his ward.

Cicero’s writings of this period include Brutus, a dialogue on orators and oratory, Consolatio, on the deaths of great men, Academica, on the philosophical doctrines of the Greek Academy, Tusculanae Disputationes, on happiness, De Natura Deorum, on the gods, De Fato (On Destiny), and the essays De Senectute (On Old Age), De Amicitia (On Friendship), and De Officiis (On Duty).

Cicero’s daughter dies and Cicero divorces Publilia, shortly after their marriage.

Cicero delivers his “Philippics” against Mark Antony – damning and condemning him.

Second Triumvirate orders the death of Cicero and he is executed.