Cicero: The Senior Statesman

In this work, Mitchell brings to a conclusion his study of Cicero's political life and thought begun in "Cicero, the Ascending Years". This book spans the last 20 years of Cicero's life, from the end of his consulship in 63 BC to his death in 43 BC. Mitchell begins by discussing Cicero's political and social ideas and the extent to which they reflect the institutions of traditional republicanism. He then traces the reversal in Cicero's fortunes in the years after his consulship, describing his political isolation and his disillusionment with the conservative nobility. According to Mitchell, Cicero's inability to find a place or party seriously affected his political behaviour during this period. He was silent when Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus formed the First Triumvirate, defenseless when attacked and driven into exile, fearful and tentative in his political responses after his restoration, and reluctant when drawn into an alliance with the triumvirs. Eventually, after Caesar's assassination, Cicero seized a last hour of glory, assuming for a short time the role of preeminent "princeps". Mitchell shows that although Cicero made no lasting impact on the course of political events in his time, he ended his life defending the ideals to which he had remained steadfastly attached.