Classical Civilisation Politics of the Late Republic Modern Scholarship

Mouritsen on the role of the People (1)

The Senate had auctoritas and served as a political party that was ideally symbolic of the unity of the elite.

Mouritsen on the role of the People (2)

‘Populares’ didn’t exist because politicians passed laws through the assembly for too wide a range of reasons.

Morstein-Marx on the role of the People (1)

Populares ≠ Anti-Republican

Morstein-Marx on the role of the People (2)

The Civil War was a political contest

Morstein-Marx on the role of the People (3)

The People preferred Caesar’s Rome over Pompey and the Senate’s for what it did for them.

Morstein-Marx on the role of the People (4)

Despite popular belief, Roman citizens were largely ‘politicised’ and focused on defending their core rights with politics.

Morstein-Marx on the role of the People (5)

Bibulus violating the norms of politics explained the later breaking of his lictors’ fasces

Mouritsen on Catiline

Catiline represented the structural problem of the cursus honorum through a desperate young politician being pushed to extremes

Parenti on Catiline

Cicero manufactured the danger of Catiline to the nation to gain the gratitude of the Senate

Tempest on Cicero’s political principles

Cicero didn’t hate Caesar personally; he just disliked that Caesar wasn’t restoring the traditional Republic

Everitt on Cicero’s political principles

Cicero aimed to restore traditional values and by the end of his life was willing to allow & use unconstitutional methods to do so

Grant on Cicero’s political principles

Cicero believed that power should be in the hands of principles, not despotic individuals

Morstein-Marx on Cicero’s political principles

His agrarian legislation in 59 was an ‘out’ for the Senate to display that they care about the citizens

Tatum on Cicero’s political principles

He was consistently focused on dignitas and wanting to maintain his image as the ‘Senate’s champion’ and protecting the Senate’s authority/senatus auctoritas

Taylor on Verres

Cicero may’ve been partially motivated to take the case out of patriotism and wanting to protect Rome but it was also undoubtedly a critical part of his early up-and-coming career

Rawson on Verres

Cicero took the case because he agreed that some reform in the system was needed

Stowers on Cicero’s oratory and correspondence

The creation of a distinction between comfortable and serious letters is misleading

Vasaly on Cicero’s oratory and correspondence

Cicero used oratory to emotionally manipulate the audience rather than formulating the best argument

Powell on Cicero’s oratory and correspondence

Casual letters can be equated to spoken dialogue

Morello on Cicero’s oratory and correspondence

Letters are a conversation that rely on maintaining realism to hide the geographical separation

Billows on Caesar’s consulship

Determination was a key trait of Caesar’s that allowed for his land laws to be passed.

Tatum on Caesar’s consulship

Caesar