THE next talk in the lecture series at Rawdon Community Library is on Tuesday, November 14 at 2pm and is entitled Cicero: Rome’s Greatest Politician?

Dr Henry Clarke, Lecturer in Roman History and Culture at the University of Leeds, will be talking about the Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar and philosopher, Cicero.

Cicero lived from 106-43 BC, and from a humble birth his skills as an orator led him to the centre of the Roman political world, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. He eventually became a Consul, the top political position in Republican Rome.

His rise and fall have been explored by author Robert Harris in a three-part series, which has increased public knowledge of this extraordinary man.

Dr Clarke will discuss Cicero's background and rise to power as a political outsider, his subsequent self-presentation as the defender of the Republic, and how his career and final years can be tied into the collapse of the Roman Republic.

Tickets are £5 (£3 students), including refreshments, and can be bought in advance at the library at Micklefield Park, New Road Side, Rawdon, LS19 6DD or on the door.

Rawdon Community Library, has disabled access and toilets.