What would happen if a clique of very rich people, led by an autocrat, took over a Republic? What if he awarded grand gifts of money and power to the unscrupulous people who supported him, and he then ran roughshod over the legal system?
No, I’m not talking about the lately deceased American Republic. This book is, however, by an author who lives in Washington D.C. Its title comes from the Republic of ancient Rome.
Josiah Osgood is professor of classics at Georgetown University and holds a PhD from Yale University. A winner of the Rome Prize, he is the author of six books on Roman history including Uncommon Wrath: How Caesar and Cato’s Deadly Rivalry Destroyed the Roman Republic.
In this timely book, Osgood looks not at Caesar and Cato, but at their contemporary Cicero, who tried mightily to save the Republic. Even though he ultimately failed, Cicero is one of a handful of figures from ancient Rome whose reputation has been sustained for more than 2,000 years. He is, perhaps, the most admired figure in all of Roman history before the Empire. One reason for this is that much of what he wrote still exists, so authors of Classical history have a goldmine of text with which to spin their tales. This one focuses on Cicero as a lawyer, both for the defense and prosecution. It is a riveting read. Anyone today who gets enthralled with murder or bribery cases, such as OJ Simpson or Bernie Madoff, will know what I’m talking about. Like now, virtually everyone in society had an opinion about the cases litigated in Republican Rome. Back then, Osgood amusingly labels ‘white collar crime’ as ‘white toga crime,’ referring to the clothing worn by Senators.
“At the heart of Cicero’s story lies a strange irony,” writes Osgood. Namely, “the career of Rome’s greatest trial lawyer also demonstrates how the rule of law broke down.” In fast-moving and readable prose, Osgood takes us through all the major trials Cicero was involved in. In most cases we only have his side of the story in the first person, records for the opposing side having been lost to history. Nevertheless, the author is able to reconstruct much of what must have been on the minds of his opponents in the law courts, so we have here as balanced an accounting as we will ever get. Just to give a taste of the text, I will quote here from a trial against Verres, who was Roman governor of Sicily. In addition to stealing nearly all of the treasures of the entire island for himself (even looting temples), Verres committed horrific acts. One witness “testified before a spellbound audience in the Forum, some of those locked up by Verres were Roman citizens and had their necks broken.” When a prisoner uttered the words “I am a Roman citizen,” it was supposed to shield them.
One man Verres wanted, Publius Gavius, was cast into prison but escaped. Upon recapture, “then ensued the most unspeakable cruelty, according to Cicero’s witnesses, all of whom were high-ranking Roman citizens.” He was flogged first, then “taken for crucifixion. Verres might as well have nailed a citizen to a cross in the Roman Forum itself. The crowd shouted aggressively upon hearing the story. Cicero had stirred the crowd’s emotions so deftly that he had nearly caused a riot.” Verres fled Rome, thereby relinquishing his citizenship. Cicero won a case that launched his great career, which years later saw him declared “Saviour of the Fatherland.”
Osgood puts things in the context of what was going in Rome at the time. A wise move, as otherwise these trials would appear in abstract terms, and only of interest to Classical scholars. This book is geared towards the general reader, but it maintains a high scholarly standard with 48 pages of Notes that lead one directly to the sources.
Highly recommended, and a sobering reminder of how a proud Republic can fall.
Lawless Republic: The Rise of Cicero and the Decline of Rome is by Basic Books. It lists for $32.
image: a marble bust of Cicero