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The Weakness of the Late Republic

The Roman Empire at the time of Julius Caesar: military might but internal instability

Results of Imperialism
Crises of the Late Republic
Economic: flood of wealth from the empire into Italy
Rich became richer, poor became poorer Establishment of large estates and slave-based commercial agriculture
Think Spartacus! Ruin of the small farmer

Social
Increase of the urban proletariat Decrease in the citizen soldier, rise of professional soldiers loyal to their generals Repeated threats of slave revolts

Political
Division of wealthy into the politically empowered and the relatively disenfranchised Rise of demagogic politics and political violenceThe Roman Revolution
Tribunes like the Gracchi appealed to the people to outmaneuver the senate Generals began to use their armies as political tools

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20. The Weakness of the Late Republic

20. The Weakness of the Late Republic

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Rise of the Generals

Marius
Created the first professional army, more loyal to himself than the state Depended upon populares politicians (senators who worked through the people rather than the Senate) to provide pay and pensions for his soldiers and veterans

Sulla
First to use army against the government: Sullas march on Rome Dictatorship

Pompey the Great

Conquered much of the East for Rome

Crassus
Put down the slave revolt of Spartacus

First Triumvirate
Alliance of Pompey and Crassus with a young up-and-coming politician, Julius Caesar
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Sallust, Commentator on an Age

Sallust, c. 86-35 B.C. Political career
Early phase
Expelled from Senate in 50 B.C. for alleged immorality.

Caesarian phase
Served as an officer of Caesar between 49-45 B.C. in the Civil Wars Governor of Africa Nova (Numidia, which Caesar had reduced to a province)

Retired from politics after Caesars death in 44 B.C.

Expelled from the Senate for corruption and mismanagement of a province when he was governor Retired from public life

Turned to history writing

Became a critic of the politics and behavior in which he had engaged!

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20. The Weakness of the Late Republic

20. The Weakness of the Late Republic

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Sallust and History

Early works rejected the annalistic model in favor of the historical monograph
Used episodes, the Jugurthine War and the Catilinarian Conspiracy, to illustrate the larger theme of Roman decline

Style
Followed model of Thucydides
Short, terse sentences for historical momentum Archaic diction Use of speeches

Accuracy?
Not a rigorous pursuit of truth but a dramatic narrative with vivid characters meant to illustrate moral declinethe moralizing tendency of Roman historiography

Sallusts monographs were much admired in classical antiquity . . . and later by St. Jerome and St. Augustine. They continued to be popular through the greater part of the Middle Ages, supplying more ideas and suggesting more turns of phrase than any other pagan author. (Handford, 8 adapted)
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The War Against Catiline

Prologue: The Greatness and Decline of Rome
Early Romanspoor, simple, austerewere models of good morals and traditional values Power and greatness led to a decline in values
But when our country had grown great through toil and the practice of justice . . . when Carthage, the rival of Romes sway, had perished utterly, and all seas and lands were open, then Fortune began to grow cruel and to bring confusion into all our affairs. Those who had found it easy to bear hardship and dangers, anxiety and adversity, found leisure and wealth . . . a burden and a curse. Hence the lust for power first, then for money, grew upon them. These were, I may say, the root of all evils. (packet, 74-76)

The attempted revolution of Catiline

In 63 B.C., a renegade and desperate patrician senator, Catiline, attempted a coup and social revolution
The consul of the year, Cicero (more below), managed to suppress the plot

Sallust saw Catilines attempt as symptomatic of the corruption of the Roman Late Republic (see packet, 76-77)
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20. The Weakness of the Late Republic

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The Career of Cicero

Background
From a wealthy Italian family important in local affairs but not at Rome Cicero had a thorough Latin and Greek education, studying rhetoric and philosophy Gained a reputation as a public speaker, particularly in the law courts
Was the first person (a novus homo) in his family to be elected to offices in Rome and enter the Senate

Ciceros consulship
As a novus homo, or new man, Cicero tried to become part of the senatorial aristocracy by joining with the optimates (conservative politicians who worked through the Senate)
Elected consul in 63 B.C. Saw his successful suppression of the Catilinarian Conspiracy as his finest hour
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In Catilinam I
Ciceros View of the Catilinarian Conspiracy
Used his hearsay evidence to discredit Catiline, made him fear that Cicero knew more than he does Catiline forced to show his hand, flees the city but not arrested

"Cicero Denouncing Catiline By Cesare Maccari

Rhetorical devices in first paragraph (packet, 79-80) What is his problem and how does he try to bluff Catiline into leaving the city of Rome?
Cicero lacked political support and hard evidence

Personification of Rome in VII (packet, 83) Peroration (conclusion) in XIII (packet, 86-87)

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20. The Weakness of the Late Republic

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Caesar and Cato

After Catiline fled Rome, Cicero arrested his fellow conspirators
Although junior magistrates, Sallust portrays Caesar and Cato the Younger as prime movers in the senatorial debate about the Catilinarian conspirators
Caesar, praetor-elect and newly chosen pontifex maximus
Advocates house arrest for life of conspirators

Cato, tribune-designate but also noted for his Stoicism and incorruptibility
Moves swift, capital punishment

Sallusts characterization (packet 77-78)

Caesar: generous, compassionate, populist, avid for glory Cato: upright, austere, stoic In a time of moral decline, Sallust sees them as the greatest of the Romans . . .

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20. The Weakness of the Late Republic

Career of Caesar
Patrician and populares, revolutionary, dictator, and noblest of the Romans
A patrician popularis His consulship Conquest of Gaul The civil war against Pompey Cleopatra His dictatorship and assassination

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20. The Weakness of the Late Republic

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Caesar the Builder

Above: Julius Caesars Temple of Venus Genetrix in the Forum Iulium. Right: The Roman Forum and other fora at the time of Augustus. Note: A Sulla and Catulus Tabularium; K Caesars Curia Iulia; and M Temple of Venus Genetrix.
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20. The Weakness of the Late Republic