Remembering the Roman People - Essays on Late-Republican Politics and Literature

In the Roman republic, only the People could pass laws, only the People could elect politicians to office, and the very word republica meant 'the People's business'. So why is it always assumed that the republic was an oligarchy? The main reason is that most of what we know about it we know from Cicero, a great man and a great writer, but also an active right-wing politician who took it for granted that what was good for a small minority of self-styled 'best people' (optimates) was good for the republic as a whole. T. P. Wiseman interprets the last century of the republic on the assumption that the People had a coherent political ideology of its own, and that the optimates, with their belief in justified murder, were responsible for the breakdown of the republic in civil war.

Info autore

T. P. Wiseman is Emeritus Professor of Classics, University of Exeter

Riassunto

A challenging reinterpretation of the political culture of the last century of the Roman Republic. Wiseman argues that the People had their own egalitarian ethos, usually in conflict with the self-styled `best' (optimates), who, with their belief in justified murder, were responsible for the republic's breakdown in civil war.

Testo aggiuntivo

A book by Peter Wiseman promises a congenial blend of erudition and provocation - and this one does not disappoint ... this is a terrific book, not least because it exhibits a profound passion for the facts of the past, and the truths they reveal.

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: T. P. Wiseman, T. P. (Emeritus Professor of Classics Wiseman, Wiseman T. P.
• Editore: Oxford University Press
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Tascabile
• Pubblicazione: 30.06.2011
• EAN: 9780199609963
• ISBN: 978-0-19-960996-3
• Pagine: 288
• Categorie: Saggistica > Storia; Scienze umane, arte, musica > Storia > Antichità; European History, POLITICAL SCIENCE / General, HISTORY / Ancient / Rome, Latin, HISTORY / Europe / General, LITERARY CRITICISM / Ancient & Classical, Politics & government, Literary studies: classical, early & medieval, Ancient Rome, Politics and government, Ancient History, Classical history / classical civilisation, Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval, BCE to c 500 CE, BCE period – Protohistory