A boy, weak of body, became a pillar of strength. As the first century approached, a sickly boy was born while the Roman Republic was nearing its ultimate demise. The boy's life and the country both hung in the balance. But the strong and determined young man grew to be the Republic's fiercest defender. With his dogged determination and towering intellect, Marcus Tullius Cicero became a famed statesman, celebrated orator, and an esteemed philosopher. Surviving civil wars, political intrigues, and assassination attempts, Cicero pushed against the grain, standing steadfastly in support of the Republic, even when it threatened his career-or his life.