As democratic institutions seem increasingly fragile and the power of persuasion is under scrutiny, distinguished classicist Catharine Edwards points to Cicero, an orator and politician whose words have reached across generations.  In conversation with fellow classicist Sir Peter Stothard, Catharine discussesher gripping biography of Cicero, a man caught between principle and ambition.  He became the greatest orator of his age, rising from provincial obscurity to the highest elected office in Rome.  Brutally murdered, his turbulent life unfolded in parallel with the collapse of the Roman Republic.  Yet he believed speech itself could defend and his response to the rise of autocratic power is just as thought-provoking and relevant today.