Blood in the forum : the struggle for the Roman republic

This is the story of the last century of the Roman Republic - why and how did the Republic succeed and why did it ultimately fail? Was the destruction of the Republic attributable to one man a?? Julius Caesar a?? or was he perhaps the most visionary of his colleagues in realising that the Rome of the past had changed? Are the actions of men like Brutus and Cassius in assassinating Caesar worthy of admiration, or were they the final gasp of a fallen world? Pamela Marin begins by examining the ideals underpinning the Roman Republic, and relates the legendary story of Cincinnatus. In the year 458 and again in 439 BCE, Cincinnatus was approached to assume the dictatorship in order to lead a military struggle against a rebellious tribe in central Italy. After resolving the threat he stepped down from the dictatorship after fifteen days. This almost immediate resignation was viewed as the ultimate example of civic duty, modesty, good leadership, and above all, service to the res publica. This near-mythic story of the small farmer leaving his crops to tend to the political crisis of the early Republic found resonance as the centuries passed, and Cincinnatus became the exemplar of Republican virtue. By the first century BCE, many were bemoaning the decline of integrity and Republican values: the Roman historian Sallust commented "in these degenerate days...who is there that does not vie with his ancestors in riches and extravagance rather than in uprightness and diligence?" In her illuminating book Pamela Marin anatomises the drama of the final days of the Roman Republic, untangles the shifting alliances and betrayals that led ultimately to the assassination of Caesar on the Ides of March in 44 BCE, and reveals the backdrop to the rise of Octavian, Romea??s first Emperor, Augustus. Contents......Page 6 Maps and Illustrations......Page 8 Chronologies......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 14 Introduction......Page 22 1 What it Was to be Roman......Page 26 2 A Blueprint for Civil War? Sulla and the 80s BCE......Page 50 3 The Up and Coming Generation: Rome in the 70s BCE......Page 80 4 Hopes for the Future: Rome in the 60s BCE......Page 98 5 Rome in Crisis? The Catilinarian Conspiracy of 63 BCE......Page 116 6 A First Triumvirate? Rome in the Early 50s BCE......Page 134 7 Violence in Republican Rome: The Truth of the Late 50s BCE......Page 156 8 Civil War and Caesar’s Dictatorship......Page 174 Conclusion......Page 194 Notes......Page 198 Bibliography......Page 206 B......Page 212 D......Page 213 G......Page 214 M......Page 215 P......Page 216 T......Page 218 W......Page 219 In Blood in the Forum , Pamela Marin offers a fresh and illuminating perspective on the complexities of the late Republic and the rise of Octavian. The book deals with how Roman politics, the desire for personal glory, and the inadequacies of the Republican system ultimately led to Caesar's dictatorship. Marin assigns a crucial role to Cato the Younger in the political narrative, which differs from conventional views, but allows for a clearer understanding of the allegiances of the civil war and the assassination of Caesar on the Ides of March 44 BCE. Drawing from the most recent scholarship, this engaging narrative pulls the reader into the ancient Roman world, presenting the tragedy of the Roman Republic in its true light. Presents a perspective on the complexities of the late Republic and the rise of Octavian. This book focuses on how Roman politics, the desire for personal glory and the inadequacies of the Republican system ultimately led to Caesar's dictatorship. Pamela Marin. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [177]-189) And Index.