Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 B.C.–43 B.C.) was born on this day to a middle-class family in the country town of Arpinum (now Arpino, Italy). From a young age, his passions were studying law and giving speeches.

He once said, “Laws are silent in war.”

Deeply influenced by Greek culture, this great orator and writer inspired European literature and many of the philosophers who followed him, including St. Augustine, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.

His letters, particularly to his best friend Atticus and brother Quintus, explored morality, duty, and friendship, offering a vivid view of ancient Roman life and politics.

“It is hard for the good to suspect evil as it is hard for the bad to suspect good,” Cicero said. His orations became a standard of Latin prose.

He believed that words carried moral responsibility, and that kindness was not weakness, but discipline of character.

Cicero’s life reflected the turbulent and complex times in which he lived. An ally to General Pompey and a foe of Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, he was elected to the Senate. A strong leader, Cicero successfully helped eliminate the conspirator Catiline.

A staunch supporter of the Republic in its final days, Cicero understood the cost of conviction. Before his assassination by followers of Antony, he said, “The whole life of the philosopher is a preparation for death.”

Cicero matters because he proved that words shape the world. Integrity often stands alone, and thoughtfulness is a form of love.