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The Republic has fallen
May. 31st, 2005 02:56 pmIn the last days of the Republic, its leaders became more and more corrupt. The Republic waged wars for personal gain and profit instead of protecting its citizens. The people had lost their moral way, with no direction. And so the downfall of the Republic was inevitable, so the conventional story of the last days of the Roman Republic went.
Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompeius, and Marcus Crassus struggled to best each other. In their thirst for power, they maneuvered and backstabbed each other. History allows us the benefit of knowing Caesar won. But his victory against the two senior members of the triumvirate was not so clear to their contemporaries. But then, why did Caesar’s own soldiers turn on him after the deaths of Pompey and Crassus?
Caesar's men had fought to save the Republic, not let it crumble at the hands of a tyrant. But the dictator Caesar committed many atrocities that showed his low opinions for the traditions of Rome and the venerable Senate. Caesar flaunted his position by not even rising up to meet a member of the Senate.
Worse, Caesar disrespected the high offices of Rome. In the Roman Republic, the most powerful elected officials were the consuls, of which there were only two. Consuls held military commands and could not be put on trial while they held that office. They served for only a year, and traditionally they could not serve in that capacity again until several years had lapsed. But at the end of one year during Caesar's reign, one of the consuls died the day before elections. Caesar, in his infinite wisdom, appointed a consul for a day according to his dictatorial powers instead of letting the office remain empty.
Caesar had turned the consulship into a lollipop, to be given at his whim.
And there lies the rise of Brutus, Cassius, and the other conspirators. They could not respect a man who so easily dismissed the familiar forms of ancient Rome. The rest is history (or a well read Shakespearan play).
It would be another Caesar who would learn from the lessons of Julius and turn the Republic into Empire.
In today's terms, I guess one of the lessons that the United States learned is that certain high level positions in the government should not be given away. Hence, the need for filibusters.
Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompeius, and Marcus Crassus struggled to best each other. In their thirst for power, they maneuvered and backstabbed each other. History allows us the benefit of knowing Caesar won. But his victory against the two senior members of the triumvirate was not so clear to their contemporaries. But then, why did Caesar’s own soldiers turn on him after the deaths of Pompey and Crassus?
Caesar's men had fought to save the Republic, not let it crumble at the hands of a tyrant. But the dictator Caesar committed many atrocities that showed his low opinions for the traditions of Rome and the venerable Senate. Caesar flaunted his position by not even rising up to meet a member of the Senate.
Worse, Caesar disrespected the high offices of Rome. In the Roman Republic, the most powerful elected officials were the consuls, of which there were only two. Consuls held military commands and could not be put on trial while they held that office. They served for only a year, and traditionally they could not serve in that capacity again until several years had lapsed. But at the end of one year during Caesar's reign, one of the consuls died the day before elections. Caesar, in his infinite wisdom, appointed a consul for a day according to his dictatorial powers instead of letting the office remain empty.
Caesar had turned the consulship into a lollipop, to be given at his whim.
And there lies the rise of Brutus, Cassius, and the other conspirators. They could not respect a man who so easily dismissed the familiar forms of ancient Rome. The rest is history (or a well read Shakespearan play).
It would be another Caesar who would learn from the lessons of Julius and turn the Republic into Empire.
In today's terms, I guess one of the lessons that the United States learned is that certain high level positions in the government should not be given away. Hence, the need for filibusters.
