Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How did Cicero govern the Roman province of Cilicia?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero, detail of a marble bust; in the Capitoline Museums, Rome.
In 51 BCE, Cicero was persuaded to leave Rome to serve as the governor of the province of Cilicia, located in southern Anatolia, for a one-year term.1
During his tenure, the province faced the threat of a Parthian invasion, though this ultimately did not materialize. While governing, Cicero successfully suppressed some brigands on Mt. Amanus. Upon his return to Rome, the Senate granted him a supplicatio—a period of public thanksgiving—in recognition of his service, although he had personally hoped for a triumph. It was widely acknowledged by his contemporaries that he governed Cilicia with integrity.1