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- Roman orator, writer, and politician. His
- speeches and philosophical and rhetorical
- works are models of Latin prose, and his
- letters provide a picture of contemporary
- Roman life. As consul 63 BC he exposed
- Catiline's conspiracy in four major orations.
- Born in Arpinium, Cicero became an advocate
- in Rome, spent three years in Greece studying
- oratory, and after the dictator Sulla's death
- distinguished himself in Rome on the side of
- the popular party. When the First Triumvirate
- was formed 59 BC, Cicero was exiled and
- devoted himself to literature. He sided with
- Pompey during the civil war (49-48 BC) but
- was pardoned by Caesar and returned to Rome.
- After Caesar's assassination 44 BC he
- supported Octavian (the future emperor
- Augustus) and violently attacked Antony in
- speeches known as the Philippics. On the
- reconciliation of Antony and Octavian he was
- executed by Antony's agents.
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