Earth's Pettiest Hero | The Life & Times of Cicero

[@JackRackam]

Check out Ascent of Civilization and 3,000 other documentaries, on the house! try.magellantv.com/jackrackam/ You can find my personal recommendations and MagellanTV’s exclusive playlists at www.magellantv.com/explore/history and don't forget your buy one get one gift card!

[@omnijack]

Just here to say I LOVE Prof. Mary Beard’s work

[@folken1761]

Your Parody of Cicero sounds soo much like Trump..

[@brokenbridge6316]

Jack Rackam---When you started out doing your own video's were you worried about what might happen to your video's or that something unexpectedly bad might happen to your channel. I'm asking because I've been thinking of making my own History KZbin video's.

[@mattclements1348]

Right , I always just didn't like the guy, ur so right

[@marcus4046]

so quick question how do you or your viewers choose what topic you cover next and how do I rig so you can make alot of satire about my favorite historical figures?

[@MaxwellAerialPhotography]

Cicero also hold the record for oldest known your mom joke. A Senator was making fun of Cicero’s lowly provincial origins asking, “who was your father?” Implying Cicero’s father was a nobody. Cicero reply’s, “as for your’s, your mother has made that quite hard to determine.”

[@ramessesthegreat5542]

The oldest yo mama joke comes from a 3500 year old Babylonian clay tablet but Cicero's joke is surely far better

[@Hugh_Morris]

That's all good but Cicero was from Italy, which wasn't a province. Cicero was an equestrian and a novus homo surrounded by patricians and nobiles.

[@mr.cheese3924]

@@ramessesthegreat5542 Not true, we don't even know the punchline for that joke.

[@MaxwellAerialPhotography]

@@Hugh_Morris during the republic, communities of italians who had recently gained civitas et suffragii, citizenship and the right to vote (or participate in roman politics) were considered “provincials”. It would only be during Ciceros own lifetime that all of Italy effectively became in corporates with Rome, through the granting of full roman rights and citizen ship to all parts of the Italian peninsula.

[@Hugh_Morris]

@@MaxwellAerialPhotography was the name provincial used? What u describe is the Socii system which yes was abolished during Cicero's lifetime. His family were however already citizens

[@adampatterson2195]

To me, the coolest part of Cicero is how he handled his own assassination like a champ. He was sitting on the side of the road when the assassins caught up to him and he was just reading. When they matched eyes, instead of a pokemon battle, Cicero just put away his book and said: "There's nothing right about what you're doing, but at least try to kill me properly."

[@philiphockenbury6563]

One last chad move for the road

[@tomtomtrent]

I wonder if that’s what inspired the killing the Emperor quest in Skyrim

[@adampatterson2195]

@@tomtomtrent You're asking the real questions!

[@warlordofbritannia]

That story always reminds me of the scene from The Godfather when Tessio realizes he’s going to sleep with the fishes; “Tell Antony it was only business; I always liked him…Octavian, can’t you get me off the hook? For old time’s sake?” “Sorry Cicero, can’t do that…”

[@gierhardtsloan8502]

Baller

[@Twisted_Logic]

Fiction needs more Ciceros. I know the self-aggrandizing hero is a bit of a trope, but I swear (especially nowadays) they always end up being secretly evil. We need more legitimately wise, noble characters that are also narcissistic blowhards with zero likable qualities

[@laurocoman]

An antique Ironman.

[@warlordofbritannia]

@@laurocoman “And I. Am. Cicero.” *yeets Catiline*

[@Account.for.Comment]

If you want more real-life, bragging heroes (depend on which side you on) like Cicero, read about Bernnadote or Napoleon. They both bragged strongly about their achievements, never forgot to talk big about their credits in doing and and act as if they able to plan or react to every changes in battlefield. In fiction, it depended on the target market. The audience expect a hero that appeal to the most common denominator. Narccistic braggards most have contacts with are pathetic losers. The smarter ones become politicians. Most audience prefer to have teen activist for protagonist than a slimy, survivalist lawyer.

[@warotm.590]

@@Account.for.Comment Oh, so​ that​s​ why​ Bernadotte and​ Napoleon​ dont​ get​ along.​ Two​ egoistical man​ cant​ really​ work​ together​ i​ guess.

[@Account.for.Comment]

@@warotm.590 Yeah, the similarities did not stop there. They both second sons, fall in love with the same woman, buy newspapers to glorify their military exploits, had a Jacobin patron, very involved in intriques, spoke with accents (Bonaparte spoke Italian and Bernadotte spoke with Gascon dialect). They both had very different ideas of politics and military strategies, though. Napoleon loved large armies with huge numbers of staffs and going on offensive to win the battle by destroying the enemy armies. Bernnadotte prefer small staffs, waiting for opportunities and focusing more on keeping his army alive than beating others.

[@davididiart5934]

Two quotes by Cicero I think we can all agree on: "Six mistakes mankind keeps making century after century: Believing that personal gain is made by crushing others; Worrying about things that cannot be changed or corrected; Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it; Refusing to set aside trivial preferences; Neglecting development and refinement of the mind; Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do." And, of course: "Politicians are not born; they are excreted."

[@Adrfhrhg]

Cicero never said the first one lol

[@davididiart5934]

@@Adrfhrhg I don't know. Good quote, whoever said it XD

[@mabimabi212]

I really found the second one very hypocritical coming from Cicero out of all people but that just made me like it more XD

[@randomobserver8168]

The first one might be undesirable but has been proved to be a correct belief numberless times, so he was wrong to call it a mistake, if he did so. The second and third are mutually contradictory to a sufficient degree, the fourth and fifth probably true, the last might or might not be a mistake but it is a necessary component of all politics and society at least to some degree. As he must well have known, as a senior member of a society that placed very heavy such belief and lifestyle demands on its members with his apparent participation and approval.

[@CiceroSapiens]

these are the words i needed today!

[@literallyjudas2157]

You forgot the part where Cicero tore into the assassins for having no idea what to do post-regicide and just kinda thought it'd all be cool from there

[@jerm70]

All the while doing nothing himself.

[@CiceroSapiens]

He also missed the part where the governor Cicero prosecuted was the one who persecuted Spartacus and the slave rebellion, using it as an excuse to extend his term and take all the money from the province. Finally, he took the statue from their square that represented them, and so they asked Cicero, who had been a just governor, to help them.

[@isaiahalvarado8617]

@@jerm70 Cicero doing nothing? LOL.. where did u study your history?

[@jerm70]

@@isaiahalvarado8617 What did he do during the night of the assassination?

[@stephenjenkins7971]

@@jerm70 He wasn't a part of the assassination, so how the hell could he do something about it? You're supposed to plan something out immediately after the assassination so people like Anthony can't usurp power in the power vacuum.

[@omnijack]

For fans of Historia Civilis, Cicero will always be my favorite green square.

[@occam7382]

Tribune Aquila approves.

[@warlordofbritannia]

Cicero-one of the most human of humans in human history: Petty, great, hypocritical, righteous, fair, prejudiced, ambitious, circumspect, loving father, distant husband…

[@thomastakesatollforthedark2231]

Cicero's last words

[@Byronic19134]

@@thomastakesatollforthedark2231 "There is nothing proper about what you are doing but atleast kill me properly." Augustus last words about Cicero "Here was a learned man who loves his nation."

[@thomastakesatollforthedark2231]

@@Byronic19134 it was more a joke like "Oh, he'd probably pull a soliloquy about how tragic it is he's gonna die"

[@rustomkanishka]

​@@thomastakesatollforthedark2231 After living a long life through turbulent times, he knew he was going to die at some point. He was stoic to the last breath. Do it properly, like a quick surgery, instead of a gory mess of things.

[@Zepherus]

Hey, if my writings kick-started the Renaissance 1400 years after I died, I'd be pretty full of myself too.

[@asadpuppy1259]

Who wouldn't

[@magnusengeseth5060]

​@No Body I think almost all historians would agree that Cicero's writings were massively important during the Renaissance, especially in the very early period.

[@rejvaik00]

@No Body doesn't change the fact that over 1000 years later Cicero and his writings were still influencing the generations of Politics Regardless of where you draw the line of Renaissance

[@motionpictures6629]

The Renaissance started when Machiavelli translated Cicero into modern Italian and thought a republic was a great idea. Machiavelli marched into the town square, convinced his fellow Florentine's of kicking the nobility out, and started a Senate.

[@hewhoshallnotbenamed5168]

"The wise are instructed by reason, the average minded by experience, the stupid by necessity, and the brute by instinct." My favorite Cicero qoute.

[@theawesomeman9821]

Sure does sound like he's a Premodonna

[@sowpmactavish]

Winners use all of the above. Which is why we have months named after the nigga's enemies and he's just a Skyrim character now.

[@Byronic19134]

@@theawesomeman9821 He wasn't tho. Cicero was one of the realest to ever live because he stayed true to himself and was fearless in keeping with his values. Just check out Cicero actions during Cesar civil war, he had brass balls and was the glue that held the Republic together.

[@Stand_By_For_Mind_Control]

I too have played Rome: Total War lol.

[@theenderdestruction2362]

@@sowpmactavish winners use all the above yes, sadly you nor me are one aren't we friend

[@giovannimieli4271]

You forgot to mention the time when he asked two poets to write something about how he defeated the conspiracy of Catiline, and then since they refused he just decided to write his own poem about it. And he made it an epic iliad-style poem. And it was all about how great he was. He then went on to continue to make self-citations from it in later speeches, even if it was generally considered one of the most distasteful poems in antiquity. It contained infamous verses such as "Oh Rome, lucky to be born when I was consul!", which not only is ludicrously self-congratulatory, but it doesn't even make sense since Rome didn't come into existence when he was consul; it doesn't even make sense as a metaphor! (and contains in the original language one of the most misused allitterations in the history of latin poetry)

[@JackRackam]

Oh my God, what?! He wrote an epic poem about himself??

[@warlordofbritannia]

@@JackRackam Remake this video Now

[@MPHJackson7]

That sounds... very in-character for Cicero

[@abid5087]

@@JackRackam still not as petty as Dante. He wrote an epic poem about himself that was a fan fic about his favorite authors and horrible things happening to people he didn’t like

[@thomasrinschler6783]

@@umbertomolinatti7798 Barbarians: "Well, we're here to pillage and burn" Roman citizens: "This first, please!"

[@Vejitatheouji]

"When I was a young man, I defended our state. As an old man, I shall not abandon it. I give sincere thanks to Mark Antony who has generously presented me with the most promising theme imaginable. I address you directly Antony. Please listen as if you..."

[@dengar96]

The ancient version of the navy seal copypasta

[@jasonssavitt5297]

"GO ON"

[@jamesharding3459]

@@dengar96 But far more eloquent.

[@Vejitatheouji]

@@jasonssavitt5297 "Please listen...as if you were sober and intelligent and not a drink sodden, sex addled wreck. You are certainly not without your accomplishments. It is a rare man who boosts of becoming a bankrupt before even coming of age. You have brought upon us war, pestilence and destruction. You are Rome's Helen of Troy. But then..but then..."

[@caiawlodarski5339]

@@Vejitatheouji Go on... GO ON

[@descalzitao6779]

"He fought for what was right for the most petty and selfish reasons : not for wealth, or fame or power but for the pure smug satisfaction of being the most self-righteous person in the whole world." So you're telling me Cicero was a redditor ?

[@nicholasrauschenberger9317]

Not just a Redditor, I would say a self-righteous Reddit mod who keeps banning people who don't say nice things about him.

[@akramgimmini8165]

He reminds me of myself

[@Imperiused]

Best comment

[@descalzitao6779]

@@akramgimmini8165 you have an anime pfp, of course he does

[@akramgimmini8165]

@@descalzitao6779 Yes

[@Byronic19134]

Cicero was Rome's greatest statesman. After Augustus had Cicero killed later in life he caught his grandson reading Cicero writing and grabbed the book off him...after reading Cicero words he looked at his grandson and said "Here was a learned man who loved his country." Cicero was one of the realest to ever live.

[@MidlifeCrisisJoe]

My favorite of Cicero's legal cases was when he had to argue that the wife of a patrician didn't cheat on her husband with their African slave even though the child she bore was obviously of African descent by comparing human birth to sheep, and that just like how every once in a while a black sheep pops out of a white sheep, so too it was with humans. Ah, life before anyone understood genetics.

[@nebsam715]

I need a source front and center now,I need to know if this is true or not cause I won't be able to sleep until I do

[@prismaticc_abyss]

I like how in 2000 years nothing has changed when it comes to wives of soldiers

[@Itcouldbebunnies]

@@prismaticc_abyss So unfair, especially since soldiers are so well-known for their chastity and virtue.🙄

[@MilloSpiegel]

@@nebsam715 Source: "I made it up"

[@crownpenguin9180]

@@prismaticc_abyss ah yes! cus soldiers are so very well known for not using prostitutes or generally have sex!

[@kekero540]

The thing is being a good person just to inflate your ego was the most Roman institution in the world. You didn’t do charity because you were good, you did charity because you wanted people to cheer your name and call you the best. That’s what I love about Roman culture.

[@javieraravena5345]

I saw a case of that. In Lima, Peru there is a church with a mosaic that was donated by a wealthy merchant, and we only know so because the mad man made it a requisite for his donation to have it marked in said mosaic his name and the date on which he made the donation

[@thefutureisnowoldman7653]

Hell I'll argue it's better than our fuck everyone but culture

[@TheDax609]

The whole thing with Macedonia is quite a bit more clever and complicated than "he sold it so he could buy a house." After their year in office, Consuls received the governorship of a province. These were assigned by lot around the time the new consuls took office. Cicero drew Macedonia, a very lucrative province to govern. The thing is, there were two consuls at a time and Cicero's co-consul, Gaius Antonius (Mark Antony's uncle), was kind of a doofus without any real political stances. Basically, dude just wanted to be able to say he'd been consul. Cicero offered to give the governorship of Macedonia to Antonius in exchange for staying out of Cicero's way during his consulate. Antonius also agreed to pay Cicero 1/4 of the revenue from Macedonia. The house was actually paid for with a loan taken from Antonius against that 1/4 share of Macedonia. So, yes, he did get the money for the house out of the deal, but he also secured the ability to actually get things done in a Senate that was increasingly paralyzed by factionalism. If he just wanted the cash, it would have been better for him to just keep Macedonia.

[@serban031]

Late Republic governorships should be a full topic in their own right, because the insane stuff that happens in a post Marius & Sulla world with the proconsuls is just fascinating, let alone what Caesar gets up to as governor, or Crassus

[@Just.Kidding]

Came here to say this. I'm amazed more consuls didn't do this. I guess it's that specific kind of genius move that seems obvious, but only after it's been done.

[@VAWM.]

Honestly I always felt that made Cicero look worse, not better. It makes his whole anti-corruption, pro-re-republic stance come across as deeply self-centered and hypocritical. The two consuls are supposed to be checks on each other's power to keep any one man from holding too much authority. It's a bit difficult to say "I oppose the Triumvirate for weakening the republic!" while at the same time happily bribing people to give yourself more political power.

[@prestonjones1653]

@@VAWM. Well if the people you're bribing are idiots then they shouldn't have the power, and if they can be bribed at all they are a danger to the state.

[@localneo-graphic4647]

Just like how his trial of Sextus is entirely misrepresented, it's just a straight up BAD video.

[@ianyork2655]

The weird thing is Cicero was a decent politician and decent person he just hated everyone. Which to be fair considering when he lived. Also Augustus did like him

[@Thumbdumpandthebumpchump]

Kind of gives me Vladimir Lenin vibes. Less violent, but similar personality.

[@ianyork2655]

@@Thumbdumpandthebumpchump lol you mean only I could be right narrative

[@Thumbdumpandthebumpchump]

@@ianyork2655 That, the will power, energy, intelligence, hatred of basically everyone around him, etc.

[@ianyork2655]

@@Thumbdumpandthebumpchump true. Honestly my opinion of Cicero ranges from decent leader to come on dude your better than this

[@ianyork2655]

@@Thumbdumpandthebumpchump also someone really should of said just because your right doesn’t mean you get to be a jerk about it

[@dailythebigcheese]

I love how Caesar and Alexander the great conquered and battled for fame and fortune, but when it comes to Cicero its just "i wanted to be popular"

[@jasonbelstone3427]

In many ways, tho, thats basically the same thing.

[@dailythebigcheese]

Caesar was more searching to silence his existential crisis at points with conquering, he was ambitious naturally and (I believe) wanted his name to live on. Alexander the great was a skilled military tactician who wanted to rule a great empire and this established one. Cicero wanted to sit with the popular kids except during the triumvirate where he decided he didnt wanna sit with the cool kids anymore

[@WowUrFcknHxC]

But he was an Optimate. *Ba dum ts*

[@nestormakhno9266]

@@dailythebigcheese tbh I think Alexander was more motivated by the fact that if he was on campaign he wouldn’t have to bring his wife so he decided to just always go on campaign and hang with his “best friend”.

[@PoggoMcDawggo]

@@nestormakhno9266 And they were roommates!

[@JeremyGG]

"I just demand the everlasting recollection of this day" The catiline: Set of speeches that Cicero gave that day, were fully preserved to this day, available on the Internet and are still considered the pinacle of rhetorical roasting with Demosthenes Philippics. The madlad actually did it !

[@MPHJackson7]

Not to mention this video makes it known to even more people.

[@alanpennie8013]

@@MPHJackson7 His ghost must be pretty happy about the way things turned out.

[@beaniefunnygamer7225]

Some people say I am as humble as Cicero. Some people would say that I deserve the heart from Jack Rackam. But I won't take that from his favourite fans. Even though I am one of his favourite fans. A fan that has been here since the Great Pompey video. Yes I know I deserve all the likes, but please save your likes for the video

[@carlosvalois8966]

True beauty

[@Doro1964]

This is hilarious 😂

[@MrLFJ7]

Take my like

[@CultofCultists]

Wow what a brave and humble man. Maybe we should elect him as consul. Rest assured, I can confirm that I was not bribed to make this suggestion in a public forum.

[@derwolf3006]

Well seems like emperor Jack just(in) didnt felt it.

[@nuralibolataev4474]

Cicero soo desperately wanted to be the main character, but there were 4 main characters in his lifetime (Pompay, Ceaser, Antoni, and Augustus) This might explain why he was so peti

[@warlordofbritannia]

This has big Crassus/Lepidus energy

[@silviomiguel4688]

He was the main character for a little while tho.

[@NimbleIvy]

He was more of that favorite side character that has a few major arcs in the series that are fan favorites.

[@delucadude1]

@@NimbleIvy just finished a fall of the republic course and I def would agree lol

[@CiceroSapiens]

Or he was a statesman fighting against tyrants. Then the winners wrote history and this bro regurgitated it. That’s why we live in an imperialist world, great work dismissing the bruh with the answer to fix it.

[@ichthys4396]

The crazy part is that Cicero talking about himself seems modest compared to his contemporaries, like Caesar and Pompey. Would he even truly be Roman if he wasn't talking about himself like that?

[@alecshockowitz8385]

Yeah, I feel like Cicero was one of the only actual good guys here, he could be corrupt in his own way, but it was never truly damaging to the Republic. And, regardless, in most of his writings he was 100% correct for what was going on and how to correct it, he just couldn't always convince other people to follow up, especially with his tendency to not campaign for positions whatsoever. I don't care for this video much because it makes Cicero look like another bad guy because it leaves out too many details on the situation. Sure, he was self-aggrandizing, but that is quite literally what most politics are in a Republic like Rome's. If anything he was far less self-aggrandizing than most of his contemporaries, like you were saying. I mean, Caesar demanded a Triumph for killing other Romans, what could be more heretical to their society than that? And the Republic LOVED to toss out special names and accolades all of the time, if Cicero didn't get some sweet names it would have been a stab in the back effectively, Pompei and Caesar have names and titles that are several paragraphs in total for instance.

[@CollinMcLean]

@@alecshockowitz8385 It wasn't damaging to the Republic but I'd argue that's villainous in it's own right since the Republic was such a hot dumpster fire of a government that it really begs the question if it was worth preserving at all. Caesar was power hungry but he used that power to advance a lot of good, he's very controversial and whether I like him or hate him depends on the time of day, but in all honesty had Caesar not destroyed the Republic then Rome would've likely destroyed itself within a few decades.

[@napolien1310]

Cicero after the assassination of Caesar :"I'm surrounded by idiots"

[@54032Zepol]

Cicero would be the type of person to talk in third person. "Cicero would like to know why cicero wasnt invited to the plot, cicero is a humble man." Haha!

[@gabrielaubry1334]

Oh Man-Emperor, he would totally talk like Cato Sicarius from TTS... "It is with great humility that I, Cicero, accept this great honor for single-handedly saving the Republic. For I, Cicero, work only for the benefit of the Roman people and I, Cicero, would never allow wrong doing to everhappen while I, Cicero, still draw breath."

[@54032Zepol]

@@gabrielaubry1334 haha thats awesome, im familar with TTS.

[@Oxtocoatl13]

Wait... There's an assassin named Cicero in Skyrim. I could swear he does this. I suddenly heard his voice in my head.

[@someorclad9738]

@@Oxtocoatl13 Same. Although I heard the female Cicero voice from that one glorious Skyrim mod. Damn I miss my psychotic waifu.

[@magnusengeseth5060]

He probably wouldn't, not because he was too humble or anything, but because one of his more famous contemporaries had already made that his own thing - Julius Caesar.

[@shawnjavery]

This is exactly the vibe I got from him in all of the historus civilus videos I've seen with Cicero in them.

[@clayheinzerling1852]

Octavian always gets done wrong in these sorts of videos. He spent three days trying to convince Marc Antony not to kill Cicero, but Fulvia was so adamant that it ended up being Cicero's life or Antony's alliegence, and in the end he stood aside and let Cicero die rather than break the 2nd triumvirate

[@norbetjagamara5536]

That claim is made by Plutarch who wrote about it almost 100 years after the fact and was writing about the emperor so of course he is going to portray Octavian in a good light. Plutarch is also notoriously a bad source for concrete facts. What is known for sure though is that Octavian abandoned Cicero after he discovered Cicero was only using him as a tool to restore the Senate and then wanted him cast aside afterwards. IMO I don't think Octavian cared one bit about Cicero.

[@alanpennie8013]

@@norbetjagamara5536 It's about on a level with Hadrian's claim that somebody else ordered the execution of the four consulares and he was absolutely horrified to hear about it.

[@CollinMcLean]

@@norbetjagamara5536 I very much agree with that sentiment because if you look at Octavian (I refuse to call him Augustus, he doesn't deserve it) he has always shown a willingness to flip flop on alliances and sell out his allies if he thought it would advance his own position. Marc Antony did a lot of the heavy work in taking down the assassins but doesn't change the fact that Octavian saw a great PR moment in making him out as a traitor and then waging a war against him to consolidate his power as Emperor. And we all know (or likely forgot about) what happened to Lepidus. All in all, he probably gave it very little thought about assassinating Cicero.

[@davidbuckley2435]

@@CollinMcLean yeah, there's also the fact that Cicero had written a letter to a friend talking about how once Octavian had helped them take out Mark Antony, it would be sensible to have Octavian killed too. Octavian may have liked Cicero personally, but if there was a Roman who could separate the personal from the political it was Octavian. The boy was a cold-blooded bastard.

[@CollinMcLean]

@@davidbuckley2435 Octavian didn't so much have friends as he had human shields...

[@legateelizabeth]

“Cicero rooted out corruption” ‘Cicero sold a governership for the most ostentatious house in Rome” These seem mutually exclusive…

[@jasonbelstone3427]

Rooted out *general* corruption.

[@blede8649]

He rooted out *other people's* corruption.

[@liamjm9278]

He also did it so that his co-consul wouldn't get in his way during their Consulship, thus allowing Cicero to govern however he wanted for the year.

[@adamfrisk956]

My understanding is that the corruption back then had quite a different set of prerequisites.

[@garrettallen7427]

Well Cicero is the best and does deserve to have it…

[@Caniewaak]

A bit baffled you actually skipped over the Philippics there, Jack. The greatest stream of disses that side of rap battles.

[@TransSappho]

Yeah Cicero compared Antony to Helen of Troy which is perfect on so many levels

[@shadowldrago]

@@TransSappho Cicero didn't even remotely comprehend the concept of chill, did he?

[@alanpennie8013]

@@TransSappho I wonder whether Octavian remembered the jibe when the time came for him to begin the character assassination of Antony.

[@DinoRonco]

You forgot the part about Mark Antony nailing Cicero’s severed hands to the Senate doors

[@davididiart5934]

Fun fact, but he didn’t! James Purefoy just cut off David Bamber’s hands at the end of HBO’s Rome series as a gag. Apparently they really hated each other ever since David snagged the last blueberry muffin from the catering table on set. The Director loved the scene so much he kept it in, despite David being upset he had been delimbed.

[@alanpennie8013]

That incident should probably be in a video about Antony, to show what a nasty, vindictive person he could be.

[@Rohv]

The HBO series Rome had a part wherein Cicero's letter mocking Anthony was read in the forum. That was actually true, but it was just way bit longer. Good job to the producers for summarizing it and giving it dramatic effect.

[@thomaswalsh4552]

Historia Civilis: “I don’t know if I want to kill you, or kiss you” Dude seriously loves Cicero

[@isaiahalvarado8617]

Cicero's work gave the world a better future. Plain and simple.

[@falconeshield]

Is that Aku Aku?

[@mrkuilko]

When doing my research on Cicero I loved just how much he hated his governorship, like he despised it, tried to delay it as much as possible and generally moaned about being there the whole time.

[@johnquach8821]

Maybe a Cassius Dio video? "You thought it was another great Roman, but it was me, Dio!"

[@alanpennie8013]

Great idea.

[@TransSappho]

I can’t believe you didn’t mention the multiple executions without trial Cicero carried out in the aftermath of the Catalina Conspiracy. It’s basically the whole reason Clodius got him banished

[@TransSappho]

@@RandomGuy-jo8ky lol, the most bs thing re Cicero tho is he was exiled based on an ex post facto law

[@Thumbdumpandthebumpchump]

@@RandomGuy-jo8ky Imagine being as smooth brained as this guy.

[@warlordofbritannia]

@@RandomGuy-jo8ky You mean do the exact thing the insurrectionists wanted to do? Yeah, I’m sure that would have gone great…

[@jonathanbond4587]

@@Thumbdumpandthebumpchump hes a bot…

[@Oxtocoatl13]

I was missing that too! Cicero and Caesar doing a rhetorical battle because the most righteous man in Rome really wants to execute Roman citizens without trial and the most ambitious man in Rome really likes to listen to his own voice. And Cicero won!

[@luciusseneca2715]

Cicero in the Afterlife: "I told everyone about that arch-pirate Antonius, in my 14 excellent orations against him I outlined what a drunken, debauched, violent barbarian he was, so he put my head on display in the forum, which actually proved me correct. It was an epic death, however, certainly a fitting way for a principled statesman to meet his end during tempestuous times, some people are saying this will become the stuff of legend for thousands of years and be remembered in far-distant lands, and certainly that is flattering."

[@MarcMagma]

While I strongly disagree with him on the topic of "preserving the Republic", I still like him as a historical figure. Especially the way he died is one of my favorite historical deaths. I mean, telling your to-be assassins "There's nothing right about what you're doing, but at least try to kill me properly.". Damm.

[@mabimabi212]

I mean he kinda did try his best to preserve the republic. I mean if he didn't then why didn't he join the triumverate? Why did he side with Pompey? Why did he still side with the Assassins when Caesar died? Sounds like trying to preserve the republic to me.

[@MarcMagma]

@@mabimabi212 I didn't say he didn't, now did I? In fact, that is exactly what I mean when I said "I strongly disagree with him on the topic of "preserving the Republic"". I disagree with him, because he tried to preserve the Republic which I, admittedly with the power of hindsight and my modern values, dislike due to a number of reasons not least of which were it's repeated mistreatment of farmers and soldiers not of noble birth. In fact, the fact that he brought down the Republic is one of the reasons Augustus is among my list of favorite historical figures. Tl;dr: with "I strongly disagree with him on the topic of "preserving the Republic"" I meant that he tried to preserve it and I think it was good it ended.

[@mabimabi212]

@@MarcMagma Okay yeesh my bad

[@54032Zepol]

Cicero: "We did it cato!! We saved the republic!!!" *rome burning*

[@seancraig7773]

Cicero: Willing to sacrifice principles for the sake of the Republic. Cato: Willing to sacrifice the Republic for the sake of principles. (Obviously a gross oversimplication, but generally true I think.)

[@isaiahalvarado8617]

NO. Cato and his assassins were the one who sacrificed their principles to save the Republic (which they ended up destroying anyway.) Cicero sticked to his values for the most part.

[@seancraig7773]

@@isaiahalvarado8617 I think you've got Cato confused with someone else. Maybe Cassius? Cato committed suicide after the Battle of Thapsus, 2 years before Caesar's assassination. More specifically, I was referring to an incident where Cicero brokered a pretty non-republican compromise with Caesar that would likely have averted civil war and preserved the Republic at least for a few more decades. But Cato influenced one of the consuls to reject the compromise for a hardline stance, fully backing Caesar into the corner that led him to cross the Rubicon. Or at least that's the story I'm familiar with. EDIT: typos

[@rejvaik00]

I think your confusing Cato with someone else

[@miketacos9034]

I love how abruptly all these biographies end. One day, you just die. Poetic.

[@HuntressBianca]

My favorite thing about Cicero is the poem Catullus wrote about him. It's pretty short, but says that Cicero is the greatest of all Romans who were, are, and will be and Cicero is the best advocate as much as Catullus is the worst poet. Except that if you read one of Catullus' other poems, he specifically states that he ISN'T the worst poet, which means this poem is calling Cicero (at most) 2nd best. And he mocks Cicero's own speech styles by using tricolon and a shit ton of superlatives. The question then is: Did Cicero realize he was being mocked? Or did he honestly think Catullus was praising him? I hope he thought Catullus was praising him.

[@JackRackam]

Knowing Catullus, you'd have to assume he was mocking you unless you were *really* blinded by your own ego. So honestly it's a toss-up

[@CollinMcLean]

Oh man you just know being called "2nd best" would absolutely get under the skin of someone as narcissistic as Cicero.

[@occam7382]

He might've known Catullus was mocking him, but decided to take it as a complment anyway.

[@davidjr.renfro2537]

it's about time! Cicero doesn't get talked about anymore. Sulla next??? You are great Jack

[@samuraiyun219]

@Leo the British-Filipino Marius became old and bitter, Sulla retired in style.

[@juwebles4352]

@Leo the British-Filipino I reckon we should start a war over whether we want the marius or sulla video first

[@alanpennie8013]

@@juwebles4352 Definitely Marius. He's the cooler of the two.

[@bryanreed8206]

Taking a break from studying the First Oration against Cataline for Fridays final, so I really appreciate the humous take on Cicero. That dude loved a run-on sentence!

[@al_mr9939]

Wow what a timing! just as I finished watching HBO's Rome season 1 this drops.

[@oranjethefox8725]

This is a good video, but I feel like it is kinda weird in a few ways. 1. You kinda passed over the fact that Cicero was consul during the Cataline conspiracy, and also the fact that this was during a Senatus Consultum Ultimum and that he had all of Cataline's supporters executed without a trial. 2. He gave away the governorship of Macedonia to the other consul (Marcus Antonius, the father of the famous Marcus Antonius) so that he wouldn't get in Cicero's way, not for a cool mansion (at least not entirely).

[@alanpennie8013]

In effect Cicero acted as dictator even though he didn't have the title.

[@hihi-nm3uy]

He had to squeeze it all into 8 minutes so I think he just skimmed over the details that didn’t fit the flow of the video.

[@snakeyjones7381]

7:57 Well, He still gets to look down on everyone at least.

[@Apollo1989V]

Got to admire his sticking to his principles

[@personamithulu]

I just love how Cicero was just Phoenix Wright cranked up to eleven. Before the series was made.

[@brunnusjustus5833]

The fact that you used an image of Cassius from the Choices game (7:16) just broke me up, that thing is absolute insanity. Whenever I'm feelling down the first thing I do is watch someone play it, it always puts a smile on my face

[@bwndt3821]

4:10 He was such a good orator he came up with the saying “my cross to bear” like sixty years before the birth of Christ!

[@Dave_Sisson]

Crucifixion was the the strongest Roman punishment for centuries before Christ, so the cross to bear line would have been familiar to all Romans in Ciceros time.

[@YakubTheFather]

@@Dave_Sisson what was the strongest after Christ?

[@alanpennie8013]

@@YakubTheFather Burning at the stake. Still very horrible, but a good deal quicker

[@ayanlethesomali7357]

@@alanpennie8013 Nah, i think impalement, which is worse in my opinion. I would rather be crucified than thave a stake through me.

[@refuze2quit603]

@@ayanlethesomali7357 I’d say it’s probably quicker and less excruciating tho

[@Heranara]

alright after this video i have decided what to do with a time machine, Putting Cicero and Cato the elder in the same room and see what happens. Because i do not know if they would love or hate each other and i want to find out.

[@fromokesar0]

7:13 I can’t believe you used Cassius Longinus from A Courtesan of Rome, I really enjoyed it, apart from that a great video Jack, keep it up!

[@serban031]

That intro is just perfect. That is exactly what Cicero war. The most pedantically self-righteous man in Rome, and easily one of the most interesting. He is a bit of a dunce when it comes to his marriage. He leaves his powerhouse of a first wife for some bimbo, basically, because I guess he got tired of being married to someone who had money, estates, power, connections...

[@Bread-nx9fo]

Man was the only one to realize that killing Caesar would just make a power vacuum and make them all look guilty lol

[@denverbrown8904]

What I love about this content is that it's sort of like a roast for the figures of history we all find so fascinating. Bravo! Also, Ayn Rand getting pissed about Cicero's altruism is hilarious.

[@ryankasch5561]

I always find it interesting how different KZbinrs can show different preferences in historical figures. This versus the portrayal of Cicero in historia civilis show the same actions but differently. I think Cicero can be a bit of a smug man, but when you compare him to Caesar (whom, for the record, I like) and Cato (whom I despise) he comes out well.

[@alanpennie8013]

Caesar's a hard one to call. He was a brilliant Roman politician with good ideas but his genocidal war in Gaul was abominable.

[@seancraig7773]

@@alanpennie8013 Not sure I'd call the whole if the Gallic Wars a genocide, though it was rife with what would today be war crimes on Caesar's part. I think it's clear that Caesar wasn't out to destroy the Gallic tribes ouright. Subjugate them, absolutely. But frankly, Caesar was to focused on generating power, wealth, and prestige to really pursue the "G word."

[@palatasikuntheyoutubecomme2046]

@@alanpennie8013 Was it really that genocidal?

[@ILSquirtles23]

Cicero is like Dante- both huge self-aggrandizing blowhards, but both so good at their jobs you can't be mad at them

[@PrinzPassionsfrucht]

Cicero- The Keyboard Warrior of the roman republic.

[@cdcdrr]

He died as he lived. Looking down on all the plebs.

[@K.Dilkington]

Cicero was pretty damn gangster though. He stood up to Caesar, Antoni, and Augustus all without having an army to back him.

[@Liberater4589]

this is like the 4th time ive been randomly interested in a topic (late roman republic in this case) and it just so happens you upload a video on the same topic the next day

[@randomperson6988]

My favorite period of Roman history

[@Adrfhrhg]

This video is kinda in bad faith, and mostly incorrect. You have to remember that cicero was from a provincial family that wasn’t nearly as wealthy or powerful as the usual families in the senate. He had no great ancestors or family members to advocate for him and his family’s name. He actually only got into the senate through marrying a rich woman who supported him. He was utterly a self made man, which wasn’t really looked too highly upon in the times of the Roman republic (they put a lot of emphasis on your lineage). So, because of his family’s lack of status, he had to advocate for himself the way he did (father of the republic, savior of rome, etc) not only to bolster his own reputation, but also to secure a future for his children, so that they would have a powerful ancestor to fall back on. It is evident through his letters to atticus and other friends that he realized his displays of grandeur were over the top and ridiculous, but necessary in the society he lived in. Also, Cicero was a constitutionalist. He didn’t do anything simply to be petty, though I can’t say that wasn’t part of his motivations sometimes. He loved his country and the republic system and wanted to see it thrive, which is why he opposed caesar publicly (they were actually good friends in private).

[@N0TYALC]

“He actually got into the senate through marrying a rich woman who supported him. He was utterly a self made man” An actual human being typed these two sentences, one after the other, in that order, without a hint of sarcasm. Fucking incredible.

[@CollinMcLean]

​@@N0TYALC Also, he was born to a wealthy family. Cicero was born to an Equestrian family, a social ranking just below the Senate.

[@LOTLore]

Cicero was a Chad. You cannot be on his level.

[@Watchmanskey]

Man, Cicero became my favorite historical figure after reading Robert Harris' Imperium. Which I would recommend to anyone wanting to know about him

[@monsterisland1702]

Cicero's biggest fault, he thought he could manipulate and control Octavian

[@ElBandito]

Imagine if Twitter was a thing in Cicero's time.

[@tylere.8436]

Lol Twitter would be too restrictive for Cicero.

[@justrandomotaku]

Other roman greats: I want power and wealth Cicero: I just want to be always right

[@isaiahalvarado8617]

Real Cicero: I want to do what's right.

[@Tsuruchi_420]

I love "Free to use" music, especially because sometimes I recognize it from completely different videos on KZbin, case in point, i know the intro song from a Minecraft chill cottagecore building series from some 6 years ago

[@ayrtonpask4461]

Cicero seems like the type that got barred from the senate on his first day due to improper facial hair. Then he spent the rest of his life making sure everyone else followed the rules to the letter out of pure spite. Respect.

[@palatasikuntheyoutubecomme2046]

I mean idk about facial hair but he was given a hard time because he was not a native roman

[@magnusengeseth5060]

If Cicero had only realized how much fonder he would be remembered as a historian/writer than as a politician and focused his energy there instead. Like, it's not even close: he's at best a 3/10 politician stupidly competing against Caesar, Mark Anthony, Octavius and others way out of his league. But at the same time he's a 10/10 writer (12/10 if you ask anyone alive during the Renaissance) who will be studied by basically every European who got a higher education between 1500-1900 and is still a great source for both historians and students of classical Latin.

[@leemarshall348]

This channel deserves so much more attention its crazy

[@PeterAmico-ud2yf]

I'd love to see a video about Marius and Sulla. They often get overlooked because Caesar vs Pompey or Octavian vs Antony suck all the oxygen out of the room, plus it doesn't help that everyone keeps dying before they can confront Sulla, so there's no big battle to focus on, but still, I think it's critical to highlight how their conflict eroded the guardrails of the Republic and made the job of all those future dictators so much more easier.

[@shawnconway6009]

Cicero was such a self righteous and needy jerk that he changed how he spoke latin, intentionally putting the verbs at the end of the sentence, so that people HAD to listen to everything he said so they could know what he was talking about. You couldn't just stop listening or you'd have no idea what he was trying to say. And then this became standard.

[@norbetjagamara5536]

No. Proper latin has always be Subject, Object and Verb (SOV).

[@DillsyYourDaddy67]

Roman politics of the Republic was always lowkey hilarious and extra. Take Cato the Censor for example; he would end every speech or statement with "(and) furthermore I consider that Carthage must be destroyed" even if the topic on debate was a completely different and separate subject. Dude hated Carthage that much.

[@tylere.8436]

Actually Latin word order was always flexible, sure verbs tend to stay in the end, but there was considerable variety. Latin put more on emphasis and focus than on strict sequential order.

[@shawnconway6009]

@@tylere.8436 The reason why it's flexible is because of the endings; due to the way latin uses endings, you can always tell what words go where. However, you can certainly tell what era of latin you're reading by how it's structured; pre-Cicero lots of latin uses the familiar subject/verb/object way of speaking. But Cicero began putting the verb at the end, so you ended up with Subject/Object/Verb structure, and given he was both extremely gifted in terms of his oratory and then became Pater Patriae, lots of people began to emulate him. Particularly Virgil, who uses parts of latin that are literally never seen in any other latin works that we have. point is, before Cicero, the actual structure is pretty loose. Post Cicero it's almost always structured with the verb at the end.

[@tylere.8436]

@@shawnconway6009 Actually out of his contemporaries, he was actually one that did SOV less commonly. Caesar was far more prone to put the verb in the end, he even puts the verb be at the end. I think you get that impression because Cicero is a greater literary influence due to how his works survived more than others.

[@N0TYALC]

Cicero is the embodiment of a politician. Corruption is wrong, except when he does it. The law is sacred and must be obeyed, but it’s fine for him to break the law when it suits him. Everyone deserves a trial before they’re sentenced, except for people which Cicero decides don’t deserve a trial. There’s nothing proper about killing your political opponents, but boy oh boy it sure was great when those guys killed Cicero’s political opponent. Thank god there’s at least one history youtuber that can see through his unearned reputation.

[@Sevofthesands]

Even in the end he got to look down on the rest of the forum like he owned the place.

[@stanisawzokiewski707]

Cicero is my favorite Roman Statesman. This video has reinforced my view of him as a smart dude.

[@jmiquelmb]

I think you're being a bit unfair to my favorite boomer Cicero, but he did like to blown his own horn. My favorite story is that he wanted someone to make him an Epic poem like the Illiad or the Enead about one of his accomplishments. Nobody accepted the job because it was kinda cringe, and he decided to make it himself. We don't have a copy nowadays, but from all sources it was an incredibly terrible work, which makes Cicero one of the best prose writers in Rome and also one of his worst poets.

[@Grim_Sister]

I petition we call Cicero’s biography from now on- The great adventures of hummus. (Hummus literally means chickpea)

[@gavinsmith9871]

"No plan! No system! No method!." - Cicero about the Liberators.

[@DrunkenCoward1]

Cicero actually wrote an Epic that didn't survive. Epics are usually of huge importance to the cultures that created them and told of epic heroes that have the inspiration of the Gods within them and are therefore Gods themselves. You know who he wrote it about? Yes. Himself.

[@caiawlodarski5339]

Is that the one where he goes to mount Olympus to ask the gods for Council on how to deal with Catiline ?

[@DrunkenCoward1]

@@caiawlodarski5339 I don't know. I remember it being lost, or that we onlx know about it by proxy, but maybe it has been found, at least partly.

[@thefutureisnowoldman7653]

I would give anything to be able to read that

[@alanpennie8013]

@@DrunkenCoward1 A large fragment survives because it was quoted by Cicero in a different work. Very like Cicero to quote his own poetry.

[@DrunkenCoward1]

@@alanpennie8013 “As written in this great work of art, akin to the great epics of Homer, but written by an even greater man.“ “Cicero, this is yours.“ “Yes.“

[@tb1974]

I am of twwo minds on Cicero. First of all he was one of the all time greats as a writer, almost as good as Caesar. The second is that he was so envious of the Optimates that he tried everything to get into their club but they all turned their noses up to him and snickered, 'new man go back to the farm."

[@jackukridge5381]

My friend recommended Robert Harris' Cicero trilogy to me so I now recommend it to anyone else. It is phenomenal.

[@WhyNot459]

Definitely one of my all times favorite !

[@jonathancarlson6127]

There was a rumor awhile back that Christopher Walken was going to play Cicero. Couldn’t stop saying his quotes in that voice.

[@jonathancampbell5231]

Walken did play Cato in a 2002 miniseries about Julius Caesar though

[@deiansalazar140]

I never knew that Cicero Ace Attorney was something I needed until now.

[@Amantducafe]

Despite Cicero not being perfect, you gotta recognize the cojones of this man for standing against what in his time was the most powerful and popular figure in Roman culture after Romulus and Remus, that is Caesar, and then keep being a thorn in the side of the next emperor while knowing perfectly well that it will cost him his life. You don't do that, you don't stick to your guns unless you truly believe in something.

[@obiwanfx]

little addition to the throwaway line "cicero started to irritate anthony": Cicero and anthony had a life long fued going on, after cicero had one of anthony's family members executed. While Anthony was a man of harsh actions, Cicero was as depicted more the sly fox. Answering Anthony's "subtle death threats" (like "Hey man I can't really garantee your safety in Rome anymore" and stuff like that), Cicero once attacked Anthony in the senate with a speech lasting SIXTEEN rolls of perkament. While it's impossible to determine how long one scroll is and how much handwriting fits on it, it's safe to say you could wrap the entire senate building into that amount, making it literally the longest burn in ancient history

[@hallamhal]

"The Romans had such adorable nicknames" Yean, like young 'Little Boots'...

[@neond6740]

0:56 As someone who was given one of her books as a birthday gift, I can confidently recommend this as well despite never watching it.

[@theoddstrokesswimmingvideo1314]

Rumor has it the head was still spitting insults against Marc Antony 10 minutes after it was severed.

[@emperornortoni2871]

"Most self-righteous person in the whole world"? I take it you haven't heard of Cato the Younger.

[@palatasikuntheyoutubecomme2046]

Difference Cicero was a hero Cato was a corrupt optimate

[@norbetjagamara5536]

How are you going to do my man Cicero dirty like that? Cicero is one of the few Romans who should actually be lauded. I get this isn't supposed to be a serious video on Cicero but half of it is objectively incorrect and portrays him like some sort of greedy and egotistical politician.

[@reallythatbad1]

While Caesar wrote self agrandizing adventure novels, Cicero wrote self indulgent text books. It was for thay reason Caesar was popular.

[@motionpictures6629]

"The most self-righteous person in the whole world" and he hated Cato for being self-righteous.

[@misstekhead]

Whenever I think of Cicero I think of the Broadway musical Chicago. “Cicero….HE HAD IT COMING! HE HAD IT COMING ALL ALOOOONG!”

[@Redem10]

CIcero: If they had me in charge of the Ides of Marches, they woudn't have needed that many senators

[@CollinMcLean]

I love how you made Ayn Rand pissed off at him in the start. Top knotch humor that flies under the radar.

[@Onii_Chan184]

The only Cicero I know is a fool in a full clown suit carrying a coffin.

[@qliphalpuzzle5453]

gods he’s basically the biggest Fedora Redditor, but with actual power

[@sehnsuchtherz]

I've been in love with Cicero for years :3

[@mels4413]

"[Cicero is] the most contemptible scoundrel in history" ~Friedrich Engels

[@VoxHispania]

I can say the same for him and Marx

[@thechekist2044]

@@VoxHispania No one cares about what you have to say

[@palatasikuntheyoutubecomme2046]

@@VoxHispania Whats wrong with them? They had good ideas. No way for them to know it wouldnt work