The Life and Times of Marcus Tullius Cicero in Lilibeo (Marsala)

 In the year 75 B.C., a man in his thirties strolls through the streets of Lilibeo, modern-day Marsala. Freshly elected as a quaestor, his name is Marcus Tullius Cicero.

At that moment, Cicero was a wealthy Roman lawyer with limited experience, a scholar of rhetoric and literature, possessing remarkable oratory skills, excessive self-esteem, and a strong desire to pursue a prestigious political career.

Lilibeo was the ideal place for him to "get a grip on finances." It was the only location in Sicily, along with Syracuse, where a quaestor resided. It was a historically Carthaginian commercial center with a fantastic port and a well-planned quadrangular layout, protected by towers and, most importantly, by the sea. Under Roman rule, it had acquired such architectural splendor that it outshone the rest of the island. Additionally, during a severe famine, Cicero managed to bring a huge quantity of grain to the city, winning over many citizens, especially aristocrats.

Strangely, Cicero was always quite reticent when it came to writing about Lilibeo. He had not published any dedicated works about it and only mentioned it in letters to his friends and family without going into any detail. The famous phrase "Splendidissima civitas Lilibetana" has never been found, and his rhetoric school on the Island of Schola seems to be nothing more than a legend.

After just over a year, the quality of his work had exceeded the most optimistic expectations. His unrestrained conservatism aligned perfectly with the political trends of the time. This was just the first small step toward a career of which he was immensely proud. He managed to occupy every political role, culminating in the consulship in 64 B.C. It was during this consulship that he entered the annals of history, primarily for his Senate speech against the subversive Catiline, which we find in his "Catilinarian Orations," probably one of the most famous works of the ancient world.

Later in life, his fortunes took a sharp downturn. Forced into exile, he returned to Rome but remained largely at the mercy of first Caesar, then Mark Antony. Recognizing Antony's monarchical aspirations, he accused him in his "Philippics" and sided with his rival, Octavian. His downfall was sealed with the Antony-Octavian alliance when he was included in the proscription lists and killed by assassins in 43 B.C. Antony, a rather vindictive man, ordered his head and hands to be displayed in the Senate.

It's worth remembering that beneath the uneven streets of the city of Marsala lies a place so rich in history that it was home to one of the most beloved and debated figures of antiquity, Marcus Tullius Cicero.

Luca Lo Buglio