Please read Plutarch's account of one of the many "ambitious young men" who lived during what is sometimes called the age of Cicero. Pick out a key line that shows how this man's work might have tended to support or destroy republican government in Rome. Explain why you chose this particular line. Useful are these abridged biographies of Crassus, Cicero, Pompey, Sertorius, Cato the Younger, and Lucullus.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Crassus, Pompey, and Their Contemporaries
Please read Plutarch's account of one of the many "ambitious young men" who lived during what is sometimes called the age of Cicero. Pick out a key line that shows how this man's work might have tended to support or destroy republican government in Rome. Explain why you chose this particular line. Useful are these abridged biographies of Crassus, Cicero, Pompey, Sertorius, Cato the Younger, and Lucullus.
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I chose kind of a long paragraph but it makes sense, oh and from Sertorius, "Meanwhile, Sertorius gathered about him the senators who had fled from Rome to him, and established a government with Roman laws and institutions, giving all the offices to his own countrymen in order that he might prove that it was his purpose to restore liberty to them, not to make the Spaniards powerful against them. Thus he showed himself a true patriot, for he loved his country and wanted to return to it.When he was at the height of his power he sent word to Metellus and Pompey that he was ready to lay down his arms and go into private life if only he might be permitted to return home, declaring that he would rather live as the meanest of citizens in Rome than as commander of all other cities out of it."
The first couple lines show he even though he had amassed all this power he still tried to run everything like a republic and have the senators run things and have a stable government. The last lines show that he would rather retire as a roman then rule all the cities out of it, he doesn't want complete control he was just fighting so he could help the roman government change to a way he saw best
Meanwhile, Cæsar had made himself famous in Gaul, and his friends declared that his services to his country were so great that he deserved at least a second consulship. Pompey opposed this, saying that as there was no doubt that Cæsar wished to be released from command, he ought to return home to stand for office. The fact was that Pompey had no desire to share his government with any one; so, in order to weaken Cæsar, he demanded back the two legions he had lent him, under pretence that he was about to engage in a war with Parthia. Cæsar was not deceived, but returned the soldiers loaded with costly presents.
I read about Pompey. You can tell by this paragraph that Pompey was a very selfish man and wanted to rule Rome by himself and not have a Republic. He didn't want to share any of the glory of Caesar but wanted the whole government for himself.
"Do not forget that more people worship the rising than the setting sun." This is what Pompey says to Sulla. I think it shows a lot of both a good thing for Rome and Bad and disastrous things for Rome. In my mind for the good and benefit of Rome its allows new and younger people to lead and give new ideas and embrace change and to steer away from just one man ruling for a long time. But now the flip side and the thing that seemes to echo throughout this period in Rome and Pompey's story, is that there is always somebody else younger and more ambitious on the horizon to take over and kick you out of the picture. It was all great for Pompey when he was a against Sulla, and Crassus, but then the game wasnt very fun for Pompey when Caesar came on the scene! Also when Pompey was running away and Ptolemy then was like a new 'rising sun' when he decided to kill Pompey. So I feel as though that line really is one of the best lines to show how Rome was during this time.
Cato the Younger:
"He had often refused to be tribune, because he did not desire that office, but when the time came that Rome was in danger, he worked hard to get it, in order that he might defend her liberty and her government; for the office of tribune gave great control, and a man holding it could, with his single vote, decide a point one way or another."
I'd definately say this (neverending) line shows how Cato the Younger's work would have tended to support the Republic. Although he had no real desire to run for Tribune, he did it for Rome, not himself. In his position as Tribune, he challenged Caesar with membership of the Cataline conspiracy and condemned the First Triumvirate (composed of Caesar, Pompey & Crassus in a powersharing deal), which would eventually prove fatal to the Roman Republic a couple of civil wars, fatal battles, and assasinations later.
I think this quote, for the subject matter, is appropriate as well:""For," said he, "though Cato have no need of Rome, yet Rome has need of Cato, and so likewise have all his friends.""
Cassandra Stangeland
"On his return to Rome he was made quæstor, or public treasurer, but he would not enter upon the office until he had studied its duties, and when he knew them he brought every one to account who had misused the public money, and turned out every servant who did not do his work faithfully and honestly. At first many complained, but they soon found that, although they were not so heavily taxed as before, the state had never been so rich, so they were satisfied, and as time went on there was no man in Rome whom the people trusted as they did Cato."
I chose that paragraph because I believe it seems to be a really rare thing in this time period to find someone so dedicated to his position that he refused to take a position of power and honor before before he had studied and come to know all its duties. And then once Cato had figured that all out he remained firm in his devotion to it and wasn't corrupted nor did he let people off the hook simply based on who they are or who they know. We need people more like Cato in todays government.
The Republic was ultimately destroyed by massive Egos. You can see this as plain as day in Pompey's tale. "Now, Pompey desired the honor of a triumph...no Roman who had not first been consul or prætor had ever had a triumph...But Pompey was determined, and said, "Do not forget that more people worship the rising than the setting sun."...and so the young man had his way."
What a brash boy Pompey was. He could no doubt be called Pompey the Pompous. Which can certainly be seen here by his blatant disregard of the common order of Roman law. On the other hand he was also very charismatic seeing as he did get his way. In the end however it was this Ego of his that brought about his end. And it was the clashing of powerful Roman egos that brought about the end of the Republic. Pompey can be seen as a cautionary tale of Ambition turning into selfish self gratification and creating enemies even greater then yourself.
'Crassus was enormously rich, for not only was he the owner of several silver-mines, but he had valuable lands and a host of slaves, whom he hired out. They were laborers on his estates, readers, writers, silversmiths, stewards, and household waiters." What I think is honorable and different about Crassus is the slaves he had. When we think of slaves in America we think of ones that mostly did work on the fields or in the households. Most of the slaves were illiterate, that was the way it was supposed to be. Many of the slaves of Crassus were educated readers and writers. That is kind of unusual that the slaves were literate people. Many of the slaves did do the simple tasks like household waiting and farm work. There was a whole mixture of slaves. I think that having educated slaves was a good thing.
If the slaves were treated nicely and were educated. They could be good support when needed. During a time of war, the slaves could easily become soldiers that were strong and smart. According to what I have read about Crassus, he treated his slaves with some respect. Alex Mason
"When Pompey returned, he tried to be friendly with Cato, because he thought thereby his power would be increased; but Cato would not agree to any measures that did not seem at benefit to his country." Those last few words sum up what Cato the Younger believed in and what lived to uphold. He tried his best to get rid of bribery to offices and tried to uphold honor and honesty. Cato did not trust Pompey or Caesar and tried his best to diminish their power like running for praetor. He eventually aligns himself with Pompey because Caesar kept on getting more powerful and he saw what Caesar was to become.
I chose this line because Cato is a great model of Roman ethics that even Caesar himself had to admire.
His authority at that time was very great, but he excited the envy of not a few because he was continually praising himself, and people grew tired of hearing him repeat again and again the benefit he had done his country in crushing Catiline.
This shows that Cicero was full of himself, much like a lot of other Roman leaders before him. This is a common characteristic at this time, but could lead him to have a weakness in his leadership. His weakness's also were shown when Clodius accused him of conspiracy in the death of Catiline's people.
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