Episode 97 - Cicero the Lawyer
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Episode 97 - Cicero the Lawyer
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About this listen
No single figure embodies the ideals and the practice of Roman law more than Marcus Tullius Cicero. He was not only a brilliant jurist and philosopher of law but also the greatest courtroom advocate Rome ever produced. His career offers a perfect lens through which to view the crime, politics, and justice of the late Republic.
This episode puts Cicero's legal career on the stand. We revisit some of his most famous cases, from his early, courageous defense of Sextus Roscius against a corrupt favorite of the dictator Sulla, to his masterful prosecution of the corrupt governor Verres. We analyze his legal strategies, his unmatched rhetorical skill, and his powerful, if sometimes flexible, commitment to the rule of law. Cicero’s speeches are our single best source for understanding how Roman courts actually worked.
Cicero's life was a testament to the idea that a mastery of the law was the highest calling of a Roman citizen. Though he ultimately failed to save the Republic he loved, his life's work as a lawyer, statesman, and philosopher made him the most influential voice in the history of Roman law.