Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/43

 CICERO. It is generally said, that Helvia, the mother of Cicero, was both well born and lived a fair life ; but of his fiitlier nothing is reported but in extremes. For whilst some would have him the son of a fuller, and educated in that trade, others carry back the origin of his family to Tullus Attius, an illustrious king of the Volscians, who waged war not without honor against the Romans. However, he who first of that house was surnamed Cicero seems to have been a person worthy to be remembered; since those who succeeded him not only did not reject, but were fond of that name, though vulgarly made a matter of reproach. For the Latins call a vetch Cice7-, and a nick or dent at the tip of his nose, which resembled the open- ing in a vetch, gave him the surname of Cicero. Cicero, whose story I am writing, is said to have re- plied with spirit to some of his friends, who recommended him to lay aside or change the name when he first stood for office and engaged in politics, that he would make it his endeavor to render the name of Cicero more glorious than that of the Scauri and Catuli. And when he was qusestor in SicUy, and was making an offering of silver plate to the gods, and had inscribed his two names, Mar- cus and Tullius, instead of the third he jestinglj' told the (35)