CICERO. 



235 



did period of his political life. He succeeded in de- 

 feating the conspiracy of Catiline (q. v.). At the 

 same time, he conducted a private suit, in a masterly 

 speech defending Murena, consul elect for the ensu- 

 ing year, against the accusations of the stoic Cato. 

 Alter Catiline's fall, the Romans greeted Cicero as 

 the father of his country. But a factious tribune 

 would not consent to his rendering an account of his 

 administration ; and, on retiring from the consulate, 

 Cicero was only able to pronounce the celebrated 

 oath " I swear that I have saved the republic." 

 Cassar was always his opponent, and Pompey feared 

 a citizen who loved liberty too much to be favourable 

 to the triumvirs. Cicero saw his credit gradually de- 

 creasing, and even his safety threatened. He there- 

 fore occupied himself more than ever with science, 

 wrote the history of his consulate, in Greek, and 

 composed a Latin poem on the same subject, in three 

 books. At last the storm broke out. Clodius, 

 Cicero's enemy, caused a law to be renewed, declar- 

 ing every one guilty of treason, who commanded the 

 execution of a Roman citizen before the people had 

 condemned him. The illustrious ex-consul put on 

 mourning, and appeared, accompanied by the equites 

 and many young patricians, demanding the protec- 

 tion of the people. Clodius, at the head of armed 

 adherents, insulted them repeatedly, and ventured 

 even to besiege the senate. Cicero, upon this, went 

 into voluntary exile, travelled through Italy, and ul- 

 timately took refuge in Thessalonica, with Plancus. 

 Clodius, in the mean time, procured new decrees, in 

 consequence of which Cicero's country-seats were torn 

 down, and a temple of freedom built on the site of 

 his house at Rome. Cicero's wife and children were 

 exposed to ill treatment. 



Whilst the accounts of these occurrences drove the 

 unhappy man almost to despair, a change favourable to 

 him was preparing in Rome. The audacity of Clodius 

 became equally insupportable to all. Pompey en- 

 couraged Cicero's friends to get him recalled to Rome. 

 The senate declared that it would not attend to any 

 business until the decree which ordered his Iwnish- 

 ment was revoked. Through the zeal of the consul 

 Lentulus, and at the proposition of several tribunes, 

 the decree of recall passed the assembly of the peo- 

 ple, in the following year, in spite of a bloody tumult, 

 in which Cicero's brother Quintus was dangerously 

 wounded. In this honourable manner Cicero re- 

 turned, after an absence of ten months. The as- 

 sembled senate received him at the gates of the city, 

 and his entry resembled a triumph. The republic 

 undertook the charge of rebuilding his houses. From 

 this period, a new epoch commences in Cicero's life. 

 His republican zeal diminished in proportion as his 

 attachment to Pompey increased, whom he declared 

 his benefactor. Clodius opposed with arms the rebuild- 

 ing of Cicero's houses, and often attacked him person- 

 ally. Milo repelled his attacks, and accused him, at 

 the same time, before the tribunal. Rome became fre- 

 quently a field of battle. Cicero, meanwhile, passed 

 several years with little public employment, occu- 

 pied with his rhetorical works. To oblige Pom- 

 pey, he defended Vatinius and Gabinius, two citi- 

 tsens of bad character, who had shown themselves 

 his implacable enemies. At the age of '. fifty-four, 

 he entered the college of the augurs. The death 

 of the turbulent Ciodius, who was slain by Milo, 

 delivered him from his most dangerous opponent. 

 He defended the perpetrator of this act, who was 

 his friend and avenger, in a beautiful speech; but 

 the presence of Pompey's soldiers, and the tumult 

 of the friends of Ciodius, confused him whilst deliver- 

 ing it. At this period, the senate appointed him go- 

 vernor of Cilicia. Cicero conducted a war, while in 

 this office, v'th good success, repulsed the Parthians, 



and was greeted by the soldiers with the title of im- 

 pcrator. But he was not allowed the honour of a 

 triumph. As soon as his term of office had expired 

 he returned to Rome, which was threatened with 

 serious disturbances, owing to the rupture between 

 Cassar and Pompey. Dreading the horrors of a civil 

 war, lie endeavoured in vain to reconcile the .rivals. 

 Caesar advanced towards Rome, and Pompey was 

 forced to fly with the consuls and the senate. Cicero, 

 not anticipating this sudden approach of Caesar, was 

 still in Italy. Caesar saw him at Formiae, but was 

 not able to gain him over ; for, although convinced 

 that the party of Caesar was likely to prevail, and 

 although his son-in-law, Dolabella, was one of 

 Caesar 5 s confidants, he was prompted by his sense of 

 honour to return to Pompey. After the battle of 

 Pharsalia and the flight of Pompey, he refused to 

 take the command of some troops who had remained 

 at Dyrrhachiiun, but returned to Italy, which was go- 

 verned by Caesar's representative, Antony. This re- 

 turn was attended with several unpleasant circum- 

 stances, until the conqueror wrote to him, and soon 

 after received him graciously. 



Cicero now devoted himself entirely to literature 

 and philosophy. He was divorced from his wife 

 Terentia, to enable him to marry a beautiful and rich 

 heiress, whose guardian he was. But the pecuniary 

 considerations which induced him to take this step 

 could never prevail on him to flatter power : on the 

 contrary, he purposely kept aloof, and ridiculed the 

 flatterers of Caasar, priding himself on his panegyric 

 of Cato. But his disaffection was overcome by the 

 liberality of Caesar, when he pardoned Marcellus. 

 Enraptured by this act of favour, which restored his 

 friend to him, Cicero broke silence, and delivered a 

 famous oration, which containedas much instruction as 

 panegyric for the dictator. Soon after, he spoke in 

 defence of Ligarius, and Cassar, relenting, gave up his 

 purpose of condemning the accused to death. C icero 

 now regained a part of his former consideration, 

 when the death of his daughter Tullia occurred, and 

 affected him very painfully. The assassination of 

 Cassar opened a new career to the orator. He hoped 

 to regain great political influence. The conspirators 

 shared with him the honour of an enterprise in which 

 no part had been assigned him ; and the less he had 

 contributed to it himself, the more anxious was he to 

 justify the deed, and pursue the advantages wlu'ch it 

 offered. But Antony took Cajsar's place. Even in 

 this turbulent year, Cicero found leisure for literary 

 occupations, and, among other labours, completed his 

 work De Gloria, which was lost as late as the four- 

 teenth century. He determined on going to Greece, 

 where he could live in safety ; but he soon returned to 

 Rome, and composed those admirable orations against 

 Antony, which are known to us by the name of 

 Philippics, and which are equally distinguished for 

 eloquence and patriotism. His implacable enmity to- 

 wards Antony induced him to favour young Octavius, 

 although the pretended moderation of the latter did 

 not deceive him. With him originated all the ener- 

 getic resolutions of the senate in favour of the 

 war which the consuls and the young Caesar were 

 conducting, in the name of the republic, against 

 Antony. Octavius having possessed himself of the 

 consulate, and formed an alliance with Antony and 

 Lepidus, after the death of the two consuls the 

 power of the senate and of the orator yielded to the 

 arms of the triumvirs. Cicero, who had always spared 

 Octavius, and even proposed to Brutus to l>e recon- 

 ciled with him, was at last convinced that liberty 

 was at an end. At Tusculum, whither he Jiad retired 

 with his brother and nephew, he learned that his name, 

 at Antony's demand, liad been added to the list of 

 the proscribed. He repaired, in a state of indecision, 



