Historical+Background

 //On Duties// is an essay by Marcus Tullius Cicero divided into three books where Cicero talks about virtue and expedienticy. The book has three names: //On Duties//, //De// //Officiis// and //On// //Obligations//. It was written in 44 B.C and Cicero gave the essay to his son as a gift. “You have from your father, my son Marcus, a gift, in my opinion, great; but that will be according to the use that you make of it.” Although he stated that the essay was for his son, it can be implied that he wrote it for a larger audience. Cicero’s essay became so famous that thousands of copies were handwritten and seven hundred still exist today in libraries around the world. In 390 B.C, Saint Ambrose declared the essay legitimate for the Church to use. Also, it was the second book to be printed after the printing press was invented. The essay became so popular during the seventeenth century that people translated it into different languages and kept it in their pockets.


 * T he essay was written during the 5th century by Cicero.
 * The essay became so popular that it was still read by people in the 17th century.

Cicero's Biography Marcus Tullius Cicero was born on January 3rd 106 BC. He and his family were from the town of Arpinum; approximately seventy miles away from the prosperous Rome. In Rome he studied literature, Philosophy, and law. Cicero ultimately became known as one of the most important figures in the Roman political hierarchy. All of this was put into a halt when Cicero was taken into the military service to serve in the Social War between the Romans and the Italians, which at the time were allies of the Roman Republic. This war was fought between 90 and 88 BC; the reason why this war was fought was because the Italian allies wanted the privileges that Roman citizenship entailed. In the years following Cicero’s military service he wrote a variety of books relating to virtue and eloquence, the division of property between partnership, and political practices criticism. These books were De Inventione (84), Pro Quinctio (81), Pro Roscio Amerino (80). While in his political career Cicero became quaestor in Sicily in the year 75 BC, and in that same year also became a senator. He was made senator largely due to the fact that he had married Terentia; whose family was part of the ruling class. One of Cicero’s important years was 65 BC, the year his son Marcus was born, the son of whom he wrote his well known work, “On Duties”. As a lawyer Cicero participated in many trials, such as the Bona Dea trial of 62 BC. In 69 BC he became a praetor, also known as a judge. Another big event in Cicero’s life was the year 66 BC, when Cicero made his first major political speech concerning his support in the extension of General Pompey’s command in the Mediteranean. Cicero had reached the highest rank in the political office in the year 63 BC, when he was announced consul, where he represented government in foreign land. In the year 56 BC Cicero was exiled due to his intimidating relationship with Clodius Pulcher; a well known roman politician. Until August 57 BC, Cicero remained in excile. In the year 56 tto 60 BC Cicero was lagerly absent in the world of politica when he wa ordered to by Pompey; these four years were important in the writings of Cicero. In the winter of 47 and 46 BC Cicero terminated his thirty year marriage with Terentia. The summer following his divorce Cicero also lost his beloved daughter Tullia. Cicero remained largely involvced in the politcal choas following Ceasar’s assasination. And after Cicero’s countless number of works concerning political theories Cicero was killed after being written as an enemy of the three- man dictatoirship between Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus. Cicero was killed by Antony’s followers with his courage and dignity still intacked. Cicero’s date of death was December 43 BC.