Early life Born Titus Pomponius in Rome , Atticus' parents were
Titus Pomponius, a wealthy businessman, and Caecilia. His family were equestrians and likely had been members of the prestigious equestrians with public horse () for many generations. He had a sister named
Pomponia. Atticus' father supported his education. Among his school friends were three consuls: Cicero (consul in 63 BC),
Lucius Manlius Torquatus (consul in 65), and
Gaius Marius the Younger (consul in 82). Cicero was educated by tutors chosen by the famous orator
Lucius Licinius Crassus; Atticus may have been part of this grouping as well. He is said to have been an excellent student; his education, evidenced by his school friends' political careers, would have prepared him well for Roman public life. Atticus left Rome, probably to escape civil strife, in 86 BC. According to his biographer Nepos, Atticus was a distant relation of the plebeian tribune
Publius Sulpicius Rufus – it is more likely that they were friends – which put him in danger when Sulla took the city. Atticus went to Athens, transferring most of his wealth, and staying away from Rome until around 65 BC. The city was not doing well in the aftermath of its capture by Sulla during the
First Mithridatic War. His love of Athens inspired his self-appointed nickname "Atticus", or "Man of
Attica", which is mentioned in the fifth book of Cicero's . During his visit to Athens,
Julius Caesar was Atticus's guest.
Career with his friend Atticus and
brother Quintus, at his villa at
Arpinum.'' (
Richard Wilson, ) Atticus inherited family money, which he successfully invested in real estate, enhancing his wealth. Using his income to support his love of letters, he had trained
Roman slaves as scribes and taught them to make
papyrus scrolls, allowing Atticus to publish, amongst other things, the works of his friend Cicero. His editions of Greek authors such as
Plato,
Demosthenes, and
Aeschines were prized for their accuracy in the ancient world. None of Atticus's own writings have survived, but he is known to have written one book (in
Ancient Greek) on Cicero's consulship, the
Liber Annalis (a work on Roman chronology), and a small amount of
Roman poetry. In 65 BC, Atticus returned from Athens to Rome. In keeping with his
Epicurean sympathies, he kept out of politics to the greatest extent possible, except to lend Cicero a helping hand in times of peril — for instance, when Cicero was forced to flee the country in 49 BC, Atticus made him a present of 250,000
sesterces. All in all, his political activity was minimal, though we know that, like Cicero, he belonged to the
optimates (the aristocratic party), and held generally conservative views. He was also a friend and partner of
Marcus Licinius Crassus, a member of the
First Triumvirate. Upon the death of his wealthiest maternal uncle
Quintus Caecilius, Atticus became his adopted son and heir, assuming the name Quintus Caecilius Pomponianus Atticus.
Lucius Licinius Lucullus, despite being his personal friend, resented Atticus's receiving an inheritance he felt he was entitled to for his association with the campaign against
Mithridates and as
Governor of
Syria. Atticus was friendly with the
Liberators after the
assassination of Julius Caesar but was not harmed following their defeat. According to
Cornelius Nepos, he took care of
Servilia after the death of her son
Brutus at the
Battle of Philippi.
Marriage and children In his later years, he married a relative, Pilia ( – 46 BC), daughter of Pilius and a maternal granddaughter of the
Triumvir Crassus. Atticus and Pilia were married in 58/56 BC, when Atticus was already 53/54 years old, and she died after 12 years of happy marriage Pilia Death [ 50 BC- August of 44 bc] December 50 to May 49 she suffered from intermittent fever (Cic. Att. VII. 5.1; VIII. 6.3; X. 15.4). In May 44, she stayed at Cicero's estate at Cumae, in the owner's absence (Cicero, Att. XIV. 15.4; 16.1; 17.1; 19.6; 20.5; 22.1; In August 44, Pilia suffered a stroke (Cicero, Att. XVI. 7.8), as a result of which she probably died, as she is not mentioned again in Cicero (cf. Cicero, Att. XVI. 11.8). . They had a daughter,
Attica, who became the first wife of
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.
Death Atticus lived out the remainder of his life in
Rome. Just after his 77th birthday he fell ill, and at first his ailment appeared minor. But after three months his health suddenly deteriorated. Deciding to accelerate the inevitable, he abstained from ingesting any nourishment, starving himself to death, and dying on the fifth day of such fasting, "which was the 31st March, in the consulship of
Cn. Domitius and
C. Sosius", that is in the year 32 BC. He was
buried in a family tomb located at the Fifth Mile of the
Appian Way. ==See also==