Cicero, ônis, mas. ge. Che surname of Marcus Tullius whose diuine eloquence, abundant learning, sharpenesse of witte, derterity in actes, and most ardent loue to the cõmon weale of his countrey, can not be sufficientlie expressed by a mortal mans tong or pen. He lineallie descended from the auncient kings of the Volscians: albeit time and occasion wearing out dignities in bloud, his name cõtinued long in % state of worship. His ancestours were called Cicerones, bicause T. Appius, a noble king of the Volscians, hadde on his nose, a marke like a chiche pease, calledCicer.In his childhoode, he so excelled all other children in witte, that their fathers moued with this fame, went purposelie to the schole to behold and heare him. He so profited in % eloquÊce of Greeke and Latine, that not onely his companions were in a marnellous admiration of him, but also Appolonius (the moste excellent orator at that time) hearing him, and not speaking a great space, saide at the last: Trulie Cicero, I prayse thee, and maruel at thee: but I lamÊt the fortune of the Greekes, when I consider, that by thee, learning and eloquence, whithe were left unto us onlie, are euen nowe translated vnto the Romaines: which saying was afterwarde founde true. For looke what subtiltie was in Logicke, what commoditie in moral Philosophie, what secrete knowledge in philosophie na turall, hee knewe it (as Tacitus writeth) and declared it in Latin most eloquentlie. And he being but a very yong man, came to practise in Rome, studied abundantiye the ciuil lawes, was maruellouslie occupied in great weightie causes. And after hee was Senatour, was continuallye (as it seemed) most busie about the meale publike. Yet hee that exactlie readeth his workes, shal thinke he neuer did any thing but reade great authours, and write bookes. For there was no Philosopher, no oratour, no poet before hys time that escaped him, as doth in his bookes sufficiently appeare. And yet how many bookes made he: since me haue not the third part of them, yet such as we haue, if any man now did write so much, and so wel, we should thinke him to haue spent the more part of his time in writing. And noble Cicero, Lord God, hom manye things did he exploite by hys wisedome and diligence, in most waightie affaires, as well in warre as peace: home did he by his dexteritie and prudence saue the citie and people of Rome from the moste pernicions confederacie and rebellion of Catiline, and other of the nobilitie, which wÊt about to destroy the weale publike, and robbe the citie: home preserued hee the same citie and people, after the death of Cæsar, that they were not oppressed by Marcus Autoniusi For his incomparable actes, the whole Senate and people gane to him, first before anye, the name of father of the countrey. What trouble and miserie snsteyned he, being expled by the procuremente of Clodius, only for the putting of the saide rebelles to death: Such is the rewarde of people onstable. Likewise for driuing Antonius out of Rome, and by his sharpe orations, causing him to be proclaimed enemie to the weale publike: he made Antonie so much his enemy, that in % treatie of peace betweene him and Octauius, he demaunded Cicero, to do with hym his pleasure. Which thing graunted of the vnkinde Octauius (whom Cicero had brought vppe, and by his meanes caused to be made chiefe gouernour of Rome) Antonie sence one Herennius (whom Cicero had saued from death by his eloquence) to pursue him as he fledde. Whiche thing when Cicero perceiued, he abode his comming. And lying in a horselitter for weakenesse, hee did with conssaunte eyes prepare his throate to Herrennius: who did (all other men ab-horting) strike of his heade, and handes, and brought them to Autonie: who reioysing thereat, caused the heade & hands to be set ouer the place of ciuil iudgements of Rome, which daylic beholden of the Senate and people af Rome, was lamented. He flourished about cl. yeares before the iucarnation. For this life and actes reade Plutarch. de vitis. Corn. Nepos. Apian. Sabel. Apoth. Erasmi.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
Cĭcĕro, ōnis, m., = *kike/rwn, a Roman cognomen in the gens Tullia. I. M. Tullius Cicero, the greatest of the Roman orators and writers; born on the 3d of January, 106 B.C. (648 A.U.C.), at Arpinum (hence Arpinae chartae, Mart. 10, 19, 17); assassinated, at the age of sixty-three years, by the soldiers of Antonius, 43 B.C. (711 A.U.C.): ille se profecisse sciat, cui Cicero valde placebit, Quint. 10, 1, 112; Juv. 10, 114 al.— Hence, B. Cĭcĕrōnĭānus, a, um, adj., Ciceronian: simplicitas, Plin. praef. 22: mensa, id. 13, 16, 30, 102: aquae,
in the villa of Cicero
,
at Puteoli
,
medicinal to the eyes
, id. 31, 2, 3, 6.—Subst.: Ciceronianus es, non Christianus, i. e.
a follower of Cicero
, Hier. Ep. 22, n. 30.—II. Q. Tullius Cicero, the brother of I., whose work, De petitione consulatūs, is yet extant.