Cicero entered office as consul for 63 BCE, a peak of his public career and the platform from which he would confront the Catilinarian crisis that defined his later political fortunes.
As fears of an attempted coup grew, the Senate adopted a senatus consultum ultimum against Catiline, effectively authorizing emergency measures and giving Cicero broad backing to defend the state.
Cicero publicly confronted Catiline before the Senate, accusing him of leading a conspiracy and pressuring him to leave Rome—an early turning point in the government’s response.
Cicero addressed a public assembly in the Forum to justify his actions and warn citizens about the alleged conspiracy, widening political support for emergency measures.
After leveraging contacts with the Allobroges and intercepting incriminating materials, Cicero moved against conspirators still in Rome, culminating in arrests that set up the decisive Senate debate.
Following a Senate debate over punishment, Cicero oversaw the execution of leading conspirators (including Lentulus Sura). The decision boosted his stature briefly but later became the legal-political basis for attacks that drove him into exile.
In March 58 BCE, facing legislation aimed at punishing those who executed citizens without trial and lacking sufficient protection from major power brokers, Cicero left Rome and went into exile.
Cicero reached Thessalonica while exiled; in Rome, his enemies moved against his property and position, underscoring the political costs of his actions in 63 BCE.
Political allies, including Pompey and the tribune Milo, secured Cicero’s recall. The formal recall marked a major rehabilitation but did not restore his earlier independence amid intensifying factional dominance.
Cicero landed at Brundisium on his return, receiving public support that helped him re-enter Roman political life after exile.
Cicero accepted a provincial command in Cilicia (southern Anatolia). The post removed him from Rome during mounting civil tensions and tested his administrative reputation as well as his political relevance at home.
After Julius Caesar’s assassination, Cicero re-emerged as a leading senatorial voice against Antony, beginning the Philippics—a campaign that tied Cicero’s fate to the collapsing Republican cause.
Cicero pressed the Senate to resist Antony more aggressively, aligning senatorial policy with armed opposition and further escalating the political conflict in which Cicero became a prime target.
In the aftermath of the Second Triumvirate’s rise and ensuing proscriptions, Cicero was captured and killed near Formiae. His death symbolized the defeat of the senatorial Republican leadership he had championed.
Cicero's Political Career, Exile, and Final Years (63–43 BCE)
