Marcus Tullius Cicero

not from rome (like most other famous authors)

spoke in three contexts

1. in the senate: small indoor gathering of ~300 men
2. in the criminal court: outdoor w/ the jury
3. in the forum at the rostra: outdoor with a random gathering of people around

he had a slave/secetary (Marcus Tullius Tiro, who got his first two names from Cicero) who dictated Cicero's speeches using a system of shorthand that he developed

Equestrial = wealthy non-senatorial roman, name because they generally were the calvary

He married Terentia and had a daughter Tullia but then divorced and married another wife who was young enough to be his daughter but the second wife divorced him for loving his daughter (in a fatherly way) too much

(wealthy) Romans generally gain political power through one of two routes: military or law. Cicero evidently chose law.

became consul in 63 (consuls had one year terms)
consuls usually don't get reelected but some do like if they are a war hero

"we know too much about cicero"
- we have around 900 letters to and from Cicero with various correspondents

Killed by Mark Antony because he insulted Antony a lot then after Antony and Octavian started to work together, Antony killed him

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Mark Antony's wife Fulvia with the severed head of Cicero. She's sticking hairpins through his tongue because he insulted them.

image source

L. Sergius Catilina

• history as violent character
• from old and famous family in Rome, but unsuccessful since
  • especially because humiliated by Cicero - young upstart from nowhere
• reformist politician
  • "if I can't make reform through peaceful means, I will do it by force"
• conspiracy
  • his conspiracy failed because cicero
  • historical
• "His body was incredibly tolerant of want of sleep" or something

note that the guy's name is spelt CATILINE, not cataline and not catilina and not catalina.