The gates of the temple of JANUS--which were open in time of war, and had been closed but twice before, once during Numa's reign, and once between the First and Second Punic Wars--were closed, and Rome was at peace with all the world.
MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO.
CICERO'S public life covered a period of nearly forty years, from the dictatorship of Sulla to the fall of the Republic.

Although endowed by nature with great talents, he was always under the sway of the moment, and therefore little qualified to be a statesman; yet he had not sufficient self-knowledge to see it.

Hence the attempts he made to play a part in politics served only to lay bare his utter weakness.

Thus it happened that he was used and then pushed aside, attracted and repelled, deceived by the weakness of his friends and the strength of his adversaries; and at last threatened by both the parties between which he tried to steer his course..