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Why were Cicero’s head and hands displayed in the Roman Forum?
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Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero, detail of a marble bust; in the Capitoline Museums, Rome.
Following the assassination of Julius Caesar, the Second Triumvirate—consisting of Mark Antony, Octavian, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus—instituted a series of proscriptions to eliminate their political enemies and secure funds.12
Cicero was targeted for execution due to his vocal opposition to Mark Antony and his efforts to urge the Senate to support Octavian against him. After being captured and killed in December 43 BCE, his head and hands were severed and displayed on the rostra, the speakers' platform in the Roman Forum. This gruesome act served as a public demonstration of the Triumvirate's absolute power and a final silencing of one of Rome's most prominent orators.134