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Portrait of Marcus Tullius Cicero

Marcus Tullius Cicero

Famous orator, lawyer and politician who became consul in 63 BCE

🏛️ Career

  1. 75 BCE
    (aged 31)
    Quaestor ·Sicily

    Broughton: Served under Sex. Peducaeus in western Sicily (a).

    Sources (1)
    • Broughton, MRR2
      • (a) Cic. P. Red. in Sen. 21; Div. in Caec. 2; Verr. 2.3.182, and 215-216, and 4.74, and 5.35; Planc. 64-65; Brut. 318; Tusc. 5.64; Fam. 13.38; Plut. Cic. 1.4; 6.1-4; Com. Dem. and Cic. 3.2; Ps.-Ascon. 185, 186, 261 Stangl
    Career-overlap (5) Magistrates with the closest career overlap; red font indicates family member

    C. Antonius Hibrida (2 years; raw 7.00, base 1.000, final 1.000): 66 BCE (Praetor) , 63 BCE (Consul)

    M. Caesonius (2 years; raw 5.00, base 0.714, final 0.714): 69 BCE (Aedile) , 66 BCE (Praetor)

    P. Sulpicius Galba (2 years; raw 5.00, base 0.714, final 0.714): 69 BCE (Aedile) , 66 BCE (Praetor)

    Q. Cornificius (2 years; raw 4.00, base 0.571, final 0.571): 69 BCE (Tribune of the Plebs) , 66 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Aquilius Gallus (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.429, final 0.429): 66 BCE (Praetor)

  2. 69 BCE
    (aged 37)
    Aedile ·plebis

    Broughton: Mommsen (a) and Seidel (FA) supposed that Cicero and his colleague Caesonius were Curule Aediles. The games however that Cicero gave were dedicated to Ceres, Liber and Libera, and to Flora (b). He never refers to himself as Curule Aedile, or records giving the Megalesian games. The primi Romani ludi of Verr. 2.5.36-37 were probably not the Ludi Romani but the Ludi Plebeii. (c) (note 5)

    Sources (4)
    • Broughton, MRR2
      • Cic. Div. in Caec. 70; Verr. 1.24-26 and 29; 2.1.14 and 19 and 145, and 5.36-37; Mur. 40; Pis. 2; Brut. 319; Off. 2.58-59; Att. 12.17; Plut. Cic. 8.1; Auct. Vir. Ill. 81.3; Ps.-Ascon. 185, 216, 227, 229 Stangl. See note 5.; Verr. 2.5.36-37;
      • (a) Str. 1.443, note 2; 2.518-522; RF 1.100
      • (b) Verr. 2.5.36-37
      • (c) On the whole question, see L. R. Taylor, AJPh 60 (1939) 200, note 25.
    Career-overlap (5) Magistrates with the closest career overlap; red font indicates family member

    C. Antonius Hibrida (2 years; raw 7.00, base 1.000, final 1.000): 66 BCE (Praetor) , 63 BCE (Consul)

    M. Caesonius (2 years; raw 5.00, base 0.714, final 0.714): 69 BCE (Aedile) , 66 BCE (Praetor)

    P. Sulpicius Galba (2 years; raw 5.00, base 0.714, final 0.714): 69 BCE (Aedile) , 66 BCE (Praetor)

    Q. Cornificius (2 years; raw 4.00, base 0.571, final 0.571): 69 BCE (Tribune of the Plebs) , 66 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Aquilius Gallus (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.429, final 0.429): 66 BCE (Praetor)

  3. 66 BCE
    (aged 40)
    Praetor ·Quaestio de repetundis

    Broughton: Elected at the head of the poll (a). Presided at the trial of Licinius Macer (b), and ordered, but probably did not hold, that of Manilius, whose law to give Pompey the command against Mithridates he supported (see Tribunes of the Plebs).

    Sources (2)
    • Broughton, MRR2
      • (a) Cic. Leg. Man. 1-2; Cluent. 147; Corn. 1, fr. 3; Cael. 10; Pis. 2; Leg. Agr. 2.49; Att. 1.10.6, and 11.2; Fam. 1.9.11; Brut. 321; Rab. Post. 9; Ascon. 73 C
      • (b) Cic. Att. 1.4.2; Val. Max. 9.12.7; Plut. Cic. 9.1-2
    Career-overlap (5) Magistrates with the closest career overlap; red font indicates family member

    C. Antonius Hibrida (2 years; raw 7.00, base 1.000, final 1.000): 66 BCE (Praetor) , 63 BCE (Consul)

    M. Caesonius (2 years; raw 5.00, base 0.714, final 0.714): 69 BCE (Aedile) , 66 BCE (Praetor)

    P. Sulpicius Galba (2 years; raw 5.00, base 0.714, final 0.714): 69 BCE (Aedile) , 66 BCE (Praetor)

    Q. Cornificius (2 years; raw 4.00, base 0.571, final 0.571): 69 BCE (Tribune of the Plebs) , 66 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Aquilius Gallus (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.429, final 0.429): 66 BCE (Praetor)

  4. 63 BCE
    (aged 43)
    Consul · Co-consul: C. Antonius Hibrida

    Broughton: The candidacy and election of Antonius are referred to in (a). He was allotted Cisalpine Gaul, but received Macedonia when Cicero refused to go (b). He was suspected of involvement in the conspiracy of Catiline (c), but in late October received the command against him in Etruria (d). He joined in carrying a severe law against bribery (e). Full references to the actions of Cicero in his consulship are in (f).

    Sources (7)
    • Broughton, MRR2
      • CIL 12.2.750, 907-909; Cic. Cael. 74; Sall. Cat. 24.1; Fast. Amit., Degrassi 170, and see also 131, 490f.; Strabo 10.2.13, 455c; Plin. NH 8.213; Joseph. Ai 14.66; Suet. Aug. 5; Flor. 2.12.5; Die 37, Index, and 10.4; Obseq. 61; Eutrop. 6.15; Chr. 354; Fast. Hyd.; Chr. Paw.; Cassiod.; Schol. Bob. 80 Stangl.
      • (a) Cic. Att. 1.1.1.; Q. Cic. Comm. Pet. 8-9; Ascon., on Cic. Tog. Cand., passim, esp. 37, 93-94 C; Plut. Cic. 11
      • (b) Cic. Pis. 5; Fam. 5.5, and cf. Sall. Cat. 26.4; Plut. Cic. 12.4; Dio 37.33.4
      • (c) Cic. Sest. 8 and 12, cf. Cat. 3.14; Plut. Cic. 12.1-3; Dio 37.30.3, and 39.3; Schol. Bob. 126 Stangl
      • (d) Sall. Cat. 36.3; and on the date, Gic. Mur. 84
      • (e) Cic. Mur. 3 and 47 and 67 Sest. 133; Vat. 37; Planc. 83; Dio 37.29.1; Schol. Bob. 79, 140, 166 Stangl
      • (f) D.-G. 5.449ff.; and the article by Gelzer in RE 7A.865ff
    Career-overlap (5) Magistrates with the closest career overlap; red font indicates family member

    C. Antonius Hibrida (2 years; raw 7.00, base 1.000, final 1.000): 66 BCE (Praetor) , 63 BCE (Consul)

    M. Caesonius (2 years; raw 5.00, base 0.714, final 0.714): 69 BCE (Aedile) , 66 BCE (Praetor)

    P. Sulpicius Galba (2 years; raw 5.00, base 0.714, final 0.714): 69 BCE (Aedile) , 66 BCE (Praetor)

    Q. Cornificius (2 years; raw 4.00, base 0.571, final 0.571): 69 BCE (Tribune of the Plebs) , 66 BCE (Praetor)

    C. Aquilius Gallus (1 year; raw 3.00, base 0.429, final 0.429): 66 BCE (Praetor)

🏺 Family

  1. Siblings
    Quintus Tullius Cicero
  2. Related
    Gaius Visellius Varro