Context: G. Julius Caesar would break norms himself in -49.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Rubicon#Julius_Ca...

Interestingly, the work in which this pleading occurs appears to not have been written until after the results of alea iacta est had settled down, in Caesar's favour.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sallust#The_Conspiracy_of_Cati...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar%27s_Civil_War

It is not clear what game Sallust is playing in his _Cataline's Conspiracy_ here. Is Caesar wisely warning against norm-breaking? Is Caesar trying to cut Cataline & co. a break? Or is Caesar warning Cicero of what he Caesar, will do in -49, and what his adopted son Octavian will do to Cicero in -43?

There may be many layers of irony here...

Reading the classics often make me feel we achieved very little improving our base instincts in the last 2000 years.

Robert Harris has a number of pretty cool historical fiction books about Cicero (Imperium, Pompeii, Conspirata) that are a good read also and put much of the goneby times in context.

Those Robert Harris books are a great read. And surprisingly historically accurate as well.

All the credit here to Brad DeLong. Just wanted to share something interesting.