Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician

There are many able and thoughtful reviews of this bestseller below. Rather than rehash the common themes -- namely that "Cicero" is well-written but a bit shallow (I happen to agree) -- I've decided to use this review to assess Everitt's work against the last popular biography on the great Roman statesman and philosopher, Elizabeth Rawson's "Cicero: A Portrait," which is regarded by many Roman scholars as the finest ever written. With diligence and a little bit of luck I was able to obtain a copy of Rawson on the Internet. I decided to read the two books concurrently to discover why many learned readers hold her book in so much higher regard than Everitt's. Keeping with the spirit of a head-to-head competition, first let us consider the "tale of the tape." The paperback versions of both books are remarkably similar is structure, organization and length. That is, both are chronological narratives organized into seventeen chapters and just over 300 pages in length (it should be noted that the font and margins in Rawson are smaller, so "Portrait" is roughly 20% longer in terms of wordcount). Clearly, then, Everitt's relative weakness isn't excessive brevity or an unorthodox and ineffective approach to Cicero's life. Much to my surprise, these books turned out to be just as similar in content as they were in size. Rawson certainly does a more thorough job of analyzing Cicero's philosophical works and her book ends with an excellent but brief review of Cicero's legacy, but overall Everitt's prose is more lucid and he excels Rawson in his ability to capture the pulse of life in Republican Rome (his descriptions of the traditional Roman marriage ceremony and assembly voting procedures are especially noteworthy). Rawson doesn't quote from Cicero's writings or letters to Atticus any more extensively than Everitt -- indeed, Everitt's choice of quotes are so precisely similar to Rawson's that it almost raises some suspicions. In sum, because these books are so close in every way I feel that Everitt's is superior simply because it is more readable (not to mention far easier to find and purchase). In closing, I'd like to echo the frequent comment that this book isn't a deep and penetrating study of Cicero and his times, such as Meier's biography of Caesar. It wasn't meant to be. It is targeted to a wide audience and succeeds exceptionally well at bringing Rome and one of its most remarkable figures to the average reader. In a world where many of the liberal arts graduates of our leading universities never touch Cicero or Polybius or Livy or Thucydides and probably couldn't tell you whether the Greeks or Romans came first, I can't help but think that books like this are at least a step in the right direction toward stimulating public interest in the classics. Ideally, "Cicero" will inspire young students or the merely intellectually curious to read some of Cicero's writings or pursue more substantial works on the Republican Rome or the ancient

As a 56 year old physician and non-historian, I would otherwise have remained dimly informed of the complex history of the last days of the Roman Republic ....but for this remarkable book. With clear prose, and finely nuanced style, Everitt brings to life both the times of Rome during the last days of its Republic, and the multifaceted personality of Cicero. Moreover, his index of names is outstanding.His detailed description of comon elements of Roman life, its overextended and patchwork government (laden with unbelievable corruption), and his fine description of the physical area of the Forum and its multiple functions - are fascinating and gripping.This is an epic tale brilliantly told - a tragic but unavoidable outcome, enlivened with excellent primary source quotes which bring breath and life to the story.You will be well versed of this critical period of history, and deeply appreciative of the cultural debt which Western Civiliazation owes Cicero after reading this book.

Having picked up a copy a year ago through the UK this biography has become a definitive guide to Rome's greatest orator, a detailed analysis of the concept of the novus homo and a succinct history of the fall of the Roman Republic.Everitt may not set out to, but what he achieves is to show Cicero as a man who, even more than Cato, encapsulates the death of the Republic as the triumvirate take it steadily faster toward Empire. The rise and fall of a man from whom most of our twenty-first century depictions of the Late Roman Republic and its mores stem is laid bare. The one benefit Cicero brings is an ability to more accurately assess his state of mind through his letters to Atticus. As such, you could argue that this modern work holds more claim to being a biography than any other historical figure from antiquity. The source is primary; as such, fundamentally biased; but a biography doesn't really seek to present a strictly historical factual view.Without synposizing the entire work, Everritt takes a chronological approach to Cicero's life, rather than thematic and we get the 'set stage', from birth to somewhat theatrically described death. Throughout we see the world of Rome through the eyes of a man who, whilst intellectually realising the old world is over, emotionally struggles to keep it, wishing to remain a player. Indeed, it is only at the very end of his life, after his return from exile that we see a Cicero unencumbered by personal fears who epitomises the last defiant stand of the Republic.Everitt has produced a text that must become standard reading for any student of Roman history and the only 'complaint' is that we've had to wait so long for this marvellous effort.

Anthony Everitt's "Cicero" is a biography of a figure from antiquity that reads as if it was written about a 20th Century American President. That's because a large amount of the great Roman orator's correspondence luckily has survived the 2000 plus years since his death. Cicero was a great tragic figure, a conservative and a republican (small "r") fated to live in a time of great turmoil that resulted in the death of the Roman republic (and his own). In the end, his philisophical writings helped crystalize Western thought and still affects academics and statesmen to this day. All of this from a man who held the highest Roman Reublic office (that of Consul) for only one year and had little military experience in a time when great generals were both feared and revered.Everitt tells Cicero's story in a superbly readable narrative style that marks the best history writing these days. He explores his subject's political career and personal life while deftly setting the backdrop of the times in which he was a chief actor. Everitt pays particular attention to Cicero's stormy life long relationship with Julius Ceasar, that archenemy of republicanism who nevertheless had a soft spot for the cantakerous philosopher. Ceasar's assassination is the crucial event upon which Everitt's narrative pivots. Overall, "Cicero" is an outstanding work of biography that will be greatly enjoyed by history buffs and even by more casual readers.

Everitt's style is wonderful! The book isn't overwhelming with facts and is paced perfectly. It is a light and casual read, but at the same time comprehensive and critical. If you are often bored with reading history, you don't need to worry about this book, it is a complete pleasure and delight to read. This isn't one of those books you pick up and read about 1/4 of and never look at it again. Aside from all this, the book offers a rare insight into the life of Cicero and also the function of the legal system and trials. The author does a great job of presenting a two-faced Cicero, his actions in public life and then his private correspondance with his good friend Atticus. Along with all this, the reader gets one of the best overviews of the fall of the Roman Republic that I have ever read. I can hardly hold my pants on waiting for his next book on Augustus.