Page 29 - All About History - Issue 08-14

Heroes & Villains

MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO

Only the senate could grant a triumph,
which held great esteem and was coveted
by all of Rome’s great men

Life in
Cicero’s time
While Rome’s power was not at its height
conqueror
the
Rome
during Cicero’s lifetime, it was still a dominant
force in the Italian peninsula and beyond. Its
influence stretched from the muddy fields of
Gaul, modern-day France, to the grain-rich
plains of the Egyptian Nile.

Slaves and free Romans
Roman society was based around the
distinction between Romans who had the right
to own property and influence the political
system and slaves who had no rights at all.
Slaves were used in every part of Roman life,
from domestic servants to labourers in mines.
As was expected for a man of his standing,
Cicero himself owned a number of slaves.

The Republic
Before the great emperors of Rome stood the
Roman Republic, a political system dominated
by the senate and its consul leaders. While the
Republic looked democratic and free on the
surface, in reality only the elite were allowed
to serve and the whole political process was
shamelessly corrupt.

Class struggle
Class division was split between the Patrician,
the ruling elite, and the Plebeian, all other
Romans. While the ruling families maintained
control over the senate throughout this period
they lived in constant fear of the ferrocity and
fickleness of the plebeian ‘mob’, which had to
be appeased regularly.
“The Roman Republic The gods and man
Religion played an important part in the
he had dedicated his daily lives of Romans and their pantheon
of gods and goddesses were seen to have
whole life to protect had a direct influence on the lives of Rome’s
citizens. Strange cults and colourful religious
betrayed him once again” ceremonies were a constant feature of the
bustling city streets.
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