Marcus Tullius Cicero

106–43 BC · Roman statesman, orator and philosopher

Marcus Tullius Cicero (born 3 January 106 BC, killed 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, orator and philosopher who reached the consulship in 63 BC and spent that year suppressing the Catilinarian conspiracy. Because so much of his writing survives, and because he really did specialise in O tempora, o mores!, he is one of the internet’s favourite places to park an unsourced grumble about civilisational decline. This is one of those: a modern one-liner with no Latin behind it, no manuscript, and no Cicero.

Traced to source

6 quotes we’ve traced to Marcus Tullius Cicero

Not actually Marcus Tullius Cicero

Often misattributed to Marcus Tullius Cicero

Famous lines widely pinned on Marcus Tullius Cicero that we’ve traced to someone else.

On the research bench

Commonly pinned on Marcus Tullius Cicero — under review

2 lines flagged as pinned on Marcus Tullius Cicero and queued for a full source trace — not yet verified.

Did they really say it?

Thought Marcus Tullius Cicero said something else?

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