M. Tullius Cicero orator et C. Antonius est consules anno ab urbe condita sexcentesimo nonagesimo primo. Hoc erat baculus rei publicae Romanorum olim supra a perpetuum honore in Senatu, qui fecit statutos, statuit consules et iudicit cuncti cives. Consulatum datur impunitam e cunctis sceleris a aut ante honorem datum est aut cum honore. Consules mutatus est quotannis ut aliquis e agens ut tyrannis aut regis detineatur, sciens ante scelera ac interfectos cum primo septem regis Romanorum, quorum finum unus interfecus est et a Senatu ac curse honore reponitus. Marcus Tullius Cicero the orator and Gaius Antonius are consuls in the six hundred ninety-first year after the city of Rome was founded. This was the branch of Roman government …show more content…
one step up from a lifetime appointment to the Senate, which made the laws, appointed all consuls and judged all citizens. The consulship had impunity from all crimes or abuses of power from either before appointment or during time in office. The consuls changed every year so as to keep anyone from acting as a tyrant or king, given prior abuses and assassinations among the first seven kings of Rome, for which the last one was killed and replaced by the Senate and its path of honor. Cicero, sumo oratore sui saeculum, invenit adeo rei ut Catilina, cum multi socii equestrum gens, coniuravit ad delendam rei publicae, ad inevitabile delendas populos cum aut imprudentis aut obsequiti statuti. Tantum ratio ut Catilina illum agat, Cicero discit e sui amicis equestri genus, qui dederat mutui, quorum Catilinam iatur in carcerem a non restitueret, ergo necesse est Catilinae habere pretium aerarii et impunis. Cicero, the best speaker of his time, finds out that Cataline, with many others of the equestrian (wealthy business owners) class, has tried to destroy the current government, to the inevitable harm of the people in either unwise or oppressive laws.
The only reason that Cataline is doing this, Cicero learns from his equestrian-class (wealthy business owners) friends, who have given personal loans to Cataline, for which Cataline would go to prison for not paying back, is that Cataline needs the treasury's money and impunity from taking it. Tam Cicero rogat Catilinam fundatus quid de Catilina auderit ac usitatus pecuniaris accidentis et insequenturus acturus est statuturum iri hoc: Cicero then grills Cataline based on what he has heard about Cataline's current financial situation and the next steps he is taking to resolve this: "You, Cataline, are trying to destroy the fatherland to pay off your creditors with ill-gotten gains from a new government you would create to be predisposed to act on your behalf!" said Cicero the orator and consul. "Your government is already predisposed to favor the one who speaks louder, which of course is you. Why wouldn't it be any different?" said Cataline the …show more content…
senator. "I am not trying to take money from anyone to pay for my lack of prudence." The very next day Cicero makes his case against Cataline, who sits by himself, for his associates also in question are of the equestrian, not senatorial, class. "As consul for this year, I have been able to overhear many of the merchants in the Forum. These are many people you may know: Marcus Valerius II, Gnaius Cornelius IV. They have told me 'There are many people forming an army in Alba Longa. They look Roman, but do not seem to be under either Antonius' or your own control.' "I approached Cataline about this, but he showed obvious contempt for my abilities as consul." A messenger then appears at the doorway of the Senate meeting and scurries to Cicero with a letter from the watchman Servius Tullius Quintus and, upon seeing Cataline, whispers in Cicero's ear.
Cataline then leaves out the door near his seat before anyone notices. The messenger then leaves and Cicero starts speaking, "The army I was just talking about has been spotted. They are twenty thousand paces from the gates, we have thirty minutes to raise a militia." The senator Aulus Cassius then decreed, "Cataline has left while we were judging him! Motion to proscribe Cataline by all Romans." "Agreed," said Cicero. "We will raid Cataline's house after the battle to find his associates. Sound the alarm for the people to arm themselves, we will not meet again until we have victory!" The head of every household left in Rome (the rebels already were in battle lines) picked a sword or spear from their own stockpiles and marched behind the de facto military leader and consul Antonius. The victory was swift: ten thousand romans fighting on their own territory, with all of the fortifications built in their favor against one thousand rebelling
men. Cataline was quickly chased down in his retreating army of now one hundred soldiers by five legions of Romans and killed. The air was harsh and cold as the last of the victorious Roman soldiers came into the city, blood was spattered on their boots; they still couldn't shake the feeling that this would happen again with a more powerful person as rebel in the future.
... His reforms, as far-reaching as they initially were, were short lived, and were annulled soon after his retirement. He thought that the People, meeting in the Concilium Plebis, were an unrepresentative and irresponsible body unworthy to govern, but he largely failed to infuse a new sense of responsibility to the Senate (Appian in Williams, p.149). Above all, arrangements to control the advancement of men through the Cursus Honorum –the threat from which his own career had so nakedly demonstrated – were clearly inadequate against men of determined ambition (Massie, p. 176). In final analysis, Sulla’s actions as a politician and a military leader, while occasionally bringing him prestige - dignatas, were major factors leading to the subsequent weakening of the Republic.
Res Gestae is a bibliographical source written from the point of view of Augustus during his reign as Emperor of the Roman Empire. It was used as a way of remembering and glorifying his rule, and it is therefore important to remember that there is heavy bias towards the greatness of Augustus throughout the entire piece. It is written in the first person, which greater emphasizes exactly how much the Res Gestae was used as a piece of propaganda, as it emphasizes the personal contribution of Augustus to each donation he
Philosopher A: In the Republic, the Senate was the primary branch of the Roman government and held the majority of the political power. It controlled funds, administration and foreign policy, and had significant influence on the everyday life of the Roman people. When Augustus came to power, he kept the Senate and they retained their legal position. The Emperor’s rule was legitimized by the Senate as he needed the senators experience to serve as administrators, diplomats and generals. Although technically the most authoritative individual in Rome, Augustus strived to embody Republican values.
In order to understand why the Gracchi attempted to solve these problems, one must examine the circumstances of Rome at the time, as well as the background of the two brothers. After the Second Punic War, the Senate became the supreme power and as a result, many changes occurred throughout Rome. Most notably, the ruling Oligarchy (specifically the nobiles) abused their power, caring more for their own material interests and gloria than the welfare of the rep...
The Roman Republic (Res Pvblica Romana) was a form of republican government that was established in 509 BCE to replace the monarchy government that had reigned over Rome since the founding in 753BCE (Steele, 2012). The Failure of the Roman Republic was inevitable as it was an unjust system of government and it was left vulnerable after the attempted changes instigated by the Gracchi, as the Gracchi exposed the weaknesses in the political structure allowing future politicians to manipulate the system. The sources used throughout the essay, which include Plutarch, Appian, Florus and Velleius, will need to be examined closely as each source will demonstrate different views on the Gracchi, as the authors purpose of writing will differ. The Gracchi had set out to change Rome for the better, however in the process; they exposed the internal flaws of the government which resulted in the beginning of the decline of the Roman Republic.
"Crassus supported a request from a company of tax-gatherers that the Senate should adjust a bad bargain which they had made in contracting for the taxes of Asia."
In order to discuss the idea of a grand strategy, it is first necessary to admit the inevitable difficulties in finding and interpreting evidence for or against one. It is hard to talk of a Roman ...
Livy’s The Rise of Rome serves as the ultimate catalogue of Roman history, elaborating on the accomplishments of each king and set of consuls through the ages of its vast empire. In the first five books, Livy lays the groundwork for the history of Rome and sets forth a model for all of Rome to follow. For him, the “special and salutary benefit of the study of history is to behold evidence of every sort of behaviour set forth as on a splendid memorial; from it you may select for yourself and for your country what to emulate, from it what to avoid, whether basely begun or basely concluded.” (Livy 4). Livy, however, denies the general populace the right to make the same sort of conclusions that he made in constructing his histories. His biased representation of Romulus and Tarquin Superbus, two icons of Roman history, give the readers a definite model of what a Roman should be, instead of allowing them to come to their own conclusion.
he is told that Brutus and Cassius had been run out of Rome he says it
The river tore through the earth like a hungry worm, ripping its way to the ocean. Along the shore of the river stood an army’s camp, the war tents and gathering tents stood well-kept, but empty. Not a soul could be found in the camp, even the lowly camp followers had left. The men who inhabited the camp stood on a small hill nearby, they encircled the base of the hill as a man on top read a letter. “The Senate and People of Rome address you, Gaius Julius, and the men under your service.
Cicero, was truly a man of the state. His writings also show us he was equally a man of
But before delving into Rome’s numerous mistakes made with regard to the defense of Italy, it is necessary to determine Hannibal’s motives and clarify how he rose into a position in which he could pursue them. With the signing of the Treaty of Lutatius in (241 BC, find correct date) (cite), the First Punic War was drawn to a conclusion. Yet the renewal of war between Carthage and Rome was inevitable. (cite) Much of Carthage wanted peace on its own terms, not a peace dependent on the good-will of the Romans.(<--MAKE THIS A QUOTE, THIS IS PLAGIARISM) Such were the ambitions of Hamilcar Barca, a man distinguished by his command of Carthaginian forces in the First Punic War and the Libyan wars (cite). Under this pretense he was put in charge of Carthage’s army, which consisted of little more than Libyan-Phoenician cavalry.
...oblest Roman of them all”, even after he proclaims his rigid opinion of Caesar (V.v.68). Although the nobility of Brutus is admirable, the application of his honor in the slimy, sordid realm of politics is in an atmosphere where it can easily be exploited. Similarly, in today’s world corrupted politicians’ shady dealings and backhanded methods create an environment that makes it difficult for those honest politicians to function unhampered. In regards to the upcoming elections, the relevance of this is important to recognize. People must be use proper judgment to discern those who are honest from those who are corrupt in order to ensure a loyal government.
The Roman Republic began approximately around 509 B.C. when the nobles drove the King and his family out of Rome. This monumental incident helped shape the start to the transformation of the monarchy into a republican governmental system. This is known to have begun by that of the Roman nobles trying to hold their power that they had gained. The Republic was “[a] city-state [which] was the foundation of Greek society in the Hellenic Age; in the Hellenistic Age, Greek cities became subordinate to kingdoms, larder political units ruled by autocratic monarchs” (Perry 105)
One of the first occasions presented was the plotting of Caesar’s assassination. Cassius, Casca, Trebonius, Ligarius and the other conspirators all wanted to rid Rome of Caesar. However, not one of them could give the green light.” They needed one who held a high place in the hearts of the people, to support them and to justify their actions. They needed an “honorable” man.