Re:Square where Julius Caesar was killed opens to the public...
by argentier on Thursday June 22, 2023 @04:13AM
(#36429332)
The Cicero-Giuliani comparison is hilarious, and not bad at all now that I think about it.
Re SCU and the Conspiracy: that the SCU was first used against the Gracchi tells you something about its political motivations. The Senate was always a bastion of the Roman plutocracy. Also the SCU has been retconned, somewhat, by Cicero's partisans. It was invented late, during a bitter class war, and certainly doesn't count as one of the ancient traditions of the Roman republic.
Most Roman historians were knights: most classical historians were gentlemen. This profoundly shapes our view of Roman history.
The “extent of the exaggeration is unclear and still debated; most classicists agree that the conspiracy occurred as broadly described – rather than being a Machiavellian invention of Cicero's – but concede that its actual threat to the republic was exaggerated for Cicero's benefit and to heighten later dramatic narratives” [1]. Think: Giuliani invoking 9/11 at every turn of conversation.
> had Roman citizens put to death without trial
The Senate let him by passing the SCU [2]. He was quelling a rebellion and Rome had no jails. Again, not unblemished good guy, but given the circumstances, within the shadow of doubt.
> literally appointed and was a warrior on the side of the oligarchy (the Optimates) all his life
This is a callous reading of his policy views. He advocated for stability. He wasn’t Roman patrician elite, and had experienced what political instability in Rome meant in the countryside. He had loose alignment with Rome’s conservatives, but in a pragmatic way, and was on good terms with Caesar and even Octavian.
[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catilinarian_conspiracy
[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senatus_consultum_ultimum