Cicero: Politics and Persuasion in Ancient Rome

by Kathryn Tempest

On the back of his natural talent for oratory, Cicero set out on the path to a glorious reputation - his earliest speeches brought the name of Cicero out of the shadows and hurled him into the spotlight.

Cicero was the first 'new man' in thirty years to reach the consulship; the fact that he managed to do so without bribery or violence makes his success even more remarkable. His year of office witnessed events of such a scale that he was granted the extraordinary honour of the title 'pater patriae' - he was the father of his fatherland.

Following the Civil War, and with renewed hopes for the restoration of the Roman Republic, Cicero launched a fierce attack on Mark Antony by delivering a series of speeches that cannot be matched for their vigour.It was these speeches that would be the cause of Cicero's death, and his death was to be as dramatic as his life. Kathryn Tempest's life of Cicero and his times is as engaging as it is informative.

Genres: Roman History, Biography, Nonfiction, Politics, History, Ancient History

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Kathryn Tempest is senior lecturer in Latin literature and Roman history, University of Roehampton, and author of Cicero: Politics and Persuasion in Ancient Rome. She lives in Surrey, UK.

Reviews

[Eoin M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't never not enjoy something about this fella. Would've enjoyed more of a discussion of his legacy (i.e. as a translator, correspondent, political theorist etc) rather than just an account that largely begins and ends with his life.

[Maan Kawas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about Cicero and his time, I highly recommend!!!!

[Mark Hebwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is testimony to Robert Harris' the excellent trilogy on Cicero (Imperium / Lustrum / Dictator) that I did not get much new from this book. Of course, this is not Kathryn's fault, and I think as a standalone work on Cicero, it is informative, well-structured and a good read. Still, I'd say you get as much on Cicero's life from Robert's trilogy, and as it is fiction, his books are an easier read. I'd possibly recommend to read this non-fiction text as a 'prequel' to the Cicero trilogy, for those who have the time.

[Peter Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor old Cicero was an idealist who supported the Republic while many in the Roman establishment had turned their back on it forever in favour of personal ambition, wealth, revenge and greed.

I can't help but think he was essentially an honourable man whose belief in his nation and its place in the world far exceeded what it was able to offer him in return.

In many ways Cicero's story is one of an exceptionally gifted orator, politician, lawyer, thinker and writer whose seemingly infinite potential was continuously curtailed by tragedy both in his personal life and career.

Kathryn Tempest deals with him in a largely sympathetic and sensitive way though does not duck his flaws either. This is important, for Cicero was as human as any of us, and sometimes when reading about someone's life it's reassuring to have that pointed out.

Marcus Tullius Cicero was a man of extraordinary talent and renown in a chaotic, challenging and changing environment in Rome. He was a man of his time who died wearing his heart on his sleeve and I have nothing but admiration for him.

A very well written book indeed and one I'd recommend to anyone who has even a passing interest in the incredible history of ancient Rome. 9/10

[rachel selene · Rating 4 out of 5]

i've been wrangling over this review for a couple of days and still i don't know what to say that i haven't said before!! it's been 2000+ years and cicero still looms so large as a personality in any book written about him. i know that a lot people dislike him for a variety of reasons but i am not one of those people, and i can only walk away feeling very fond of him despite (or maybe because of) his overbearing emotions and his mood swings and his overwhelming despair and his tendency to brag, and more than that his sheer genius. and i think kathyrn tempest GETS that sentiment and it comes across beautifully here. this is really such an excellent biography and i think it also accomplishes something that can be quite difficult, which is situating a personal life within the larger context of politics & society.

[Elly · Rating 4 out of 5]

whilst i already knew quite a bit about cicero (having studied him at a-level), this book was written simply and clearly, yet still with character, and had brilliant structure and composition.

a few of my favourite facts include:

- when cicero was 14, he wrote a poem called "the sea god glaucus"

- verres was killed in the same proscriptions as cicero, and therefore cicero's life ended alongside the man from his first major trial, the case that made his name huge

- cicero's final surviving letter to atticus ends with, "adsum igitur." it means, "i am present."

[Paul Waring · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far and away the best general book I’ve read on Cicero. Sufficiently accessible for a general audience, but backed by footnotes and a bibliography for anyone wishing to dig deeper into the subject.

[Chen Xiong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read Cicero biography. good as a start of knowing how this most talented Roman orator suffered the most chaotic but extremely interesting period of the late republic.

[Adam Levitan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting to learn about the context Cicero gives modern politics and its figures

[Derrick Jeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cicero was "the name of eloquence," at least according to the Roman rhetorician Quintilian. And reading Tempest's book on Cicero you have to agree with Quintilian. Tempest doesn't provide a comprehensive look into Cicero's life, rather she highlights the Roman statesman's and orator's life as it touched primarily on his politics and his career as a public speaker.

For one looking for a simple (but not simplistic) overview of Cicero's life and the history of the Roman republic's fall into imperial tyranny then Tempest's book is a good choice.

[Julian King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if this book adds much to what is already known of Cicero - I can't think of anything I actually learned from it.

But that doesn't mean it isn't a welcome addition to the bibliography: Cicero's life and career are treated along clear lines in accessible language and bite-sized chunks, perfectly suitable for sixth form students.

Anyone studying (or teaching) the AQA AS course on the Life and Times of Cicero will benefit from an acquaintance with this book.

[Michael Baranowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cicero is one of my, well 'heroes' is a bit strong, but I certainly admire him. Kathryn Tempest's biography isn't as compelling as Anthony Everitt's, nor as wonderful to read as Anthony Trollope's (at least if you're a Trollope fan, as I most definitely am) but it's good writing for the general reader coming from an academic - which is more than I can say for most academic writing.

[Jess Grayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Beginners Guide to Cicero + his speeches

[Robert Denecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent written, on of my favourite history books.