Fides comes from the Latin word meaning faith. However, the Roman concept of fides has little to do with the meaning of faith. For the Romans, Fides was about the character of any public figure. It meant reliability or trustworthiness. Throughout their lives and careers, Abraham Lincoln and Cicero had to maintain their relationships with the people. Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, rose from humble origins to the highest office in the land. When he was growing up, his family was poor and he could not get a good education. He only had about a year of formal schooling. However, he had a passion for learning and he did not let his family's social class become an obstacle. He created his own arithmetic textbooks and read almost everything he could find. However, one of the only books he could get his hands on was the Bible. His family was not religious and did not attend church, but he was very knowledgeable about the Bible. His humble beginnings made him popular among the people when he ran for president. People felt like he could relate to them on a deeper level since he grew up poor. Besides his reading and arithmetic, Lincoln showed great potential as an orator from a young age. He imitated preachers and politicians and even told stories to entertain people. Later in life, his inspirations for speaking were Shakespeare and a Scottish poet named Robert Burns. His oratorical skills influenced him later in life when he delivered his many speeches, including the Gettysburg Address. When Lincoln left home, he moved to New Salem and became a surveyor. He was becoming interested in politics, particularly the subject of slavery, so he ran for the state legislature in 1834. When he was elected in... middle of paper.. .... Keep Fides with the people throughout their political campaign. career by gaining their trust through his speeches and trials. The people also kept Fides with Cicero by supporting him through all his obstacles as a politician. Cicero and Lincoln had many similarities. They were both against slavery. Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to end it, and Cicero freed his slave and formed a close bond with him. Lincoln and Cicero also spoke very well. Cicero's famous speech was Pro Archia, which he delivered during a trial. Lincoln's famous speech was the Gettysburg Address, which he delivered during the Civil War. Lincoln and Cicero were also assassinated. Overall, Cicero and Lincoln had to maintain a good relationship with the people as well as those they worked with. They were able to do it and were very popular in their time..