Cicero Minor

Who is Cicero Minor?

Marcus Tullius Cicero Minor, or Cicero the Younger, was born in 64 BC. He was the son of Marcus Tullius Cicero, who as a distinguished orator and consular senator was one of the leading figures of the Roman Republic during the 1st century BC, and his first wife, Terentia. Cicero minor had an elder sister, Tullia Ciceronis, who was born in 79 BC and died in 45 BC. In the beginning Cicero wished to have a military career. On the outbreak of civil war in 49 BC, he joined the side of Pompey like his father. After Pompey’s defeat by Julius Caesar at Pharsalus in 48 BC, Cicero minor was pardoned by Caesar.

Cicero was sent off to Athens by his father to learn philosophy. While he was at Athens he wrote a letter to Tiro, a slave and later freedman of the Cicero family, in which he said that he was practising declamation in Greek with Gorgias but had to let him go, because his father, whom he did not want to offend, had told him to. Cicero minor was then taught declamation in Greek by Cassius, and Latin with Brutus, the two leading conspirators in the assassination of Caesar who, their deed complete, were in Greece trying to gain support for the war against the Second Triumvirate. Brutus praised Cicero and admired him for his noble spirit and his detestation of tyranny. During his time in Athens, Brutus gave Cicero command and used his services in a number of successful undertakings.