VITA
de vita eiushis lifeQ. Tullius Cicero, oratoris frater minor, Arpini anno CII a.C.n. natus est et cum Marco Romae et Athenis eruditus. Pomponiam, Attici sororem, in matrimonium duxit, coniugio infelici. Ei tribuitur Commentariolum Petitionis, libellus de petitione consulatus fratri anno LXIV scriptus, quamquam de auctore dubitatur.
Quintus Tullius Cicero, the orator's younger brother, was born at Arpinum in 102 B.C. and educated with Marcus in Rome and Athens. He married Pomponia, sister of Cicero's friend Atticus; the marriage was famously unhappy. The Commentariolum Petitionis, a handbook on canvassing written for his brother's consular campaign of 64 B.C., is ascribed to him, though its authorship is disputed.
Praetor anno LXII fuit et Asiam per triennium (annis LXI–LVIII) rexit, cum Marcus ei longam de provincia bene regenda epistulam scripsit. Legatus Caesaris in Gallia anno LIV, cum a Nerviis in hibernis cum una legione obsideretur, condiciones eorum repudiavit et rem sustinuit donec Caesar advenit. Caesar eum legionemque eius pro contione laudavit; anno LI sub fratre in Cilicia legatus fuit.
He was praetor in 62 and governed Asia for three years (61–58), when Marcus wrote him a long letter on governing a province well. As Caesar's legate in Gaul in 54 B.C., besieged by the Nervii in his winter camp with a single legion, he refused their terms and held out until Caesar arrived. Caesar praised him and his legion before the assembled army; in 51 he served under his brother in Cilicia.
Bello civili Pompeium secutus a Caesare veniam accepit. Fratres annis XLVIII–XLVII acriter dissenserunt, postea in gratiam redierunt. Anno XLIII cum fratre a triumviris proscriptus una cum filio occisus est. Plutarchus narrat fratres una fugisse, Quintum domum ad viaticum regressum a servis proditum esse. Praeter Commentariolum paucae eius epistulae et versuum fragmenta supersunt.
In the civil war he followed Pompey and was pardoned by Caesar. The brothers quarrelled bitterly in 48–47 B.C., but were later reconciled. Proscribed with his brother by the triumvirs in 43 B.C., he was killed together with his son. Plutarch tells that the brothers fled together, and that Quintus turned back for provisions and was betrayed by his own slaves. Apart from the Commentariolum, only a few of his letters and fragments of his verse survive.
TEMPORA
res gestaetimeline- 102 a.C.n.102 B.C.Arpini nascitur.Born at Arpinum.
- 64 a.C.n.64 B.C.Commentariolum Petitionis (ut traditur).The Commentariolum Petitionis (as tradition holds).
- 62 a.C.n.62 B.C.Praetor.Praetor.
- 61–58 a.C.n.61–58 B.C.Asiam regit.Governs Asia.
- 54 a.C.n.54 B.C.Castra contra Nervios defendit.Defends his camp against the Nervii.
- 43 a.C.n.43 B.C.Proscriptus occiditur.Proscribed and killed.
SENTENTIAE
verba ipsiusin his own wordsNon esse consuetudinem populi Romani accipere ab hoste armato condicionem.
It is not the custom of the Roman people to accept terms from an armed enemy.
Caes. BG V.41.7 (his reply to the Nervii)
Prope cottidie tibi hoc ad forum descendenti meditandum est: 'Novus sum, consulatum peto, Roma est.'
Almost every day, as you go down to the Forum, you must say this to yourself: 'I am a new man; I seek the consulship; this is Rome.'
Comm. Pet. 2
Opus est magno opere blanditia, quae, etsi vitiosa est et turpis in cetera vita, tamen in petitione necessaria est.
You have great need of flattery, which, though a fault and disgraceful in the rest of life, is necessary when standing for office.
Comm. Pet. 42
SCRIPTA IN ACTISHIS PIECES IN THE ACTA
—Nondum in Actis scripsit — mox scribet.He has not written for the Acta yet — his turn is coming.