National Geographic History - 01.2019 - 02.2019

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY 45

and other citizens who should be “proscribed,”
or condemned to die. The vengeful Antony man-
aged to include Cicero’s name, despite Octavi-
an’s initial reluctance.
Cicero was at his villa in Tusculum with his
brother Quintus when he found out that they
were both on the“hit list.”Fearing for their lives,
they left for the villa in Astura, from there in-
tending to sail to Macedonia and be reunited
with Marcus Brutus. But at one point, Quintus
retraced his steps in order to pick up provisions
for the journey. Betrayed by his slaves, Quintus
was killed a few days later along with his son.
Cicero, by now in Astura, was wracked with
fear and doubt as to what he should do. He set
off by boat but after just a few miles he amazed
everyone by disembarking and walking toward
Rome in order to return to his Astura villa and
from there be taken by sea to his villa at Formiae.
There, he planned to rest and gather his strength
before the final push onward to Greece.
Too hesitant. Too late. Realizing that Antony’s
soldiers were about to catch up with him, Cic-
ero headed through the forest toward the port

of Gaeta from where he hoped to escape. The

soldiers, led by Herennius, a centurion, and Po-

pilius, a tribune, who had once been prosecuted

for parricide and defended by Cicero, found his

villa already abandoned but a slave called Philo-

logus showed them which way Cicero had gone.

They had no trouble catching up with him and

performing their murderous deed.

Antony ordered that the severed head and

right hand be displayed as trophies on the ros-

trum in the Forum so that all Rome could con-

template them. The rostrum was the very plat-

form from which Cicero had been acclaimed by

the crowds for his oratory. The force of arms had

prevailed over the power of words.

A BRUTAL END

“The Death of

Cicero” by François

Perrier (above) re-

creates the moment

when Cicero was

intercepted by two

of Mark Antony’s

soldiers before the

orator lost his life.

17th century. Bad

Homburg, Staatliche

JOSÉ MIGUEL BAÑOS IS PROFESSOR OF LATIN

AT THE COMPLUTENSE UNIVERSITY IN MADRID.

AKG/ALBUM

BOOKS

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome

Mary Beard, Liveright, 2016.

Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome’s Greatest Politician

Anthony Everitt, Random House, 2003.

Learn more