Marcus Tullius Analysis

Cicero: A (Somewhat) Model Roman Marcus Tullius Cicero was assigned the proconsulship of Cilicia during the year 51-50 B.C. and, via correspondence between him and multiple of his close friends, his attitudes and actions during his governorship become quite clear. Although his aims maintain hints of triviality, there is no doubt that, based on Cicero’s own words, he had the province’s well-being and his duties in mind. This being said, Cicero by no means speaks highly of Cilicia and it is evident that his attitude poorly matches the honor and potential that accompanies a provincial governorship. This being said, actions and attitude are not necessarily equivalent and, based on his accounts, one must arrive at the conclusion that Marcus Tullius
It becomes evident in the first letter to Atticus, though, that Cicero’s main objective is to leave the province as quickly as possible. For example, with respect to his position, Cicero says “I’ll bear it as well as I can as long as it only lasts a year” (Cicero, 1). This idea never fades from his mind, either, as some sort of complaint or longing to be back in Rome can be observed in almost all of the letters. For instance, the eighth letter begins with the statement, “How I wish I were at Rome” (Cicero, 4). Cicero is not purely self-centered, though, and his concern for the province and for his duties runs throughout the letters. This is seen mostly for his concern about the continuation of war with the Parthians (Cicero, 6). Specifically, when contemplating whether or not to leave at the end of his term when facing possible war, Cicero mentions he may “stay [himself] for the sake of the state” (Cicero, 17). This comment is of tantamount importance, given the unhappiness that saturates much of Cicero’s letters. Although he was not content, he would have been willing to continue for the sake of the Roman state, marking his overarching sense of