The ancient Mediterranean is full of citizens from differing regions with different cultures and traditions, but to identify as a citizen of Rome is to belong to the first civilization that heavily influenced the modern western world. It is because of this influence that people look back at her, and her pioneering, innovative citizens, for inspiration and understanding. But this ideological picture of ancient Rome is not only pursued and presented by people in the modern world – it was desperately upheld and perpetuated by people in the ancient world.
The backstory
One Roman, proudly and distinctively, took up this mission. Cicero – the man widely attested as the world’s first lawyer, the best orator in all the land, and the last defender of the Roman Republic – was a renowned citizen of Rome in the first century BC. He was a strong believer in Rome remaining a republic and would go to remarkable lengths to be active in it, including but not limited to involving himself in theatrical performances to punctuate his political point of view, defending his rivals to weaken another opponent’s reputation, and claiming compensation on his house that was turned into a religious site in his absence. It is clear that Cicero led a dynamic and adventurous life in the Republic, and his distinct passion for the political system to remain, in order to continue these adventures, famously led him to avoid taking sides during the
