Summary POLTR - Cato and the politics of the optimates
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Course
Politics of the Late Republic
Institution
OCR
Book
OCR Classical Civilisation A Level Components 32 and 33
Notes on: - influence of stoic philosophy on Cato’s political life, Cato’s allegiance to the optimates and how this position affected his legal and political activities, his relationships with other political figures - including Cicero, Caesar, Publius Clodius Pulcher and reasons for these, his...
- Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis (Cato the younger) – 95-46
Roman statesman & born into a noble plebeian family in Rome
Served as quaestor, tribune and praetor
Strived to preserve the traditional order of the roman state
Championed the optimate cause
Committed suicide following the defeat of his army against Caesar at Thapsus
Stood as voice of roman traditionalists – later acted as a leading figure among the optimates
Uncompromising in his conservative beliefs about the central role of the senate and nobiles
Became a formidable and outspoken political figure
- Marcus Tullius Cicero – 106-43
Roman statesman and orator
Born to equestrian parents
Received a traditional education in rhetoric, oratory and law before climbing the cursus honorum
Was a novus homo – became consul in 63
Named parens patriae (father of the fatherland) by Cato for his role in thwarting a major
conspiracy against the government
- First triumvirate – private alliance formed in 60 between Julius Caesar, Pompey the great and Marcus
Licinius Crassus, enabling them to achieve their personal political short term goals, lasted until 53
when Crassus died
- Gnaeus Pompeius magnus (Pompey the great) – 106-48
Roman general and statesman
Established his military prowess in the late 80’s – removed those who has opposed Sulla
Consul in 70
Member of the first triumvirate
Led the republican cause against Caesar in the civil war of the early 40’s
- Gaius Julius Caesar – 100-44
Roman statesman, military commander and author
Patrician who traced his lineage back to Aeneas
Held many posts of political power and religious authority
Member of the first triumvirate
Spent 10 years as a successful military commander subduing Gaul
Went on to lead Rome into civil war in 49
Stabbed to death in the senate house on march 15th 44
- Publius clodius pulcher – 93-52
Tribue of the plebs in 58 – passed legislation which gave him huge popular support among the
urban masses and enabled him to rule the streets of Rome through gang warfare
From a noble patrician background
Best known for his populist politics in the 50’s
Killed in 52 by Milo (rival gang leader)
- Pontifex maximus – most influential office in ancient roman religion, chief priest in the ‘College of
Pontiffs’ whose members were the highest ranking priests in the state
Influence of stoic philosophy
- Provided a philosophy that took hold in Rome in the 2 nd century after the conquest of Greece
- Ideas of stoicism adapted to fit the context of time and place
- Roman’s interested in:
Zeno’s advocation of knowledge
Free will and moral rectitude
Self-control over one’s emotions
, o Hardship to be endured, fortune/pleasure/plain were to be risen above
- Zeno – urged removal from public and political life
Some romans interpreted it as the perfect marriage with political duty to the state
Moral nature – led itself to interpretation of ancient roman values
o Manliness, wisdom, rationality ad duty
- Cato identified himself with the tenets of stoicism (roman version)
Followed a strict code of conduct in his private and public life – stood out in a period known for its
pragmatic and chaotic politics
- Cato the elder – lived a life famously devoted to austere and morally upright living
Central to political belief – duty to preserve Rome’s culturally defining ancestral customs
- Cato is alleged to have lived like his great-grandfather – extremely frugally, learning to tolerate harsh
physical conditions and studying hard
- Cato married a noblewoman atilia – had 2 children with her
Divorced her for rumoured adultery
- Later married another noblewoman who was of excellent moral reputation – had 2 children with her
Handed over to his friend Hortensius whose married did not bare children but he wished to have
children – after Hortensius’ death marcia returned to live with Cato
- Unmoved by emotive arguments – attempted to always stick to his principles and political idealism
- Successfully ran for office of military tribune in 68 – said to have been only candidate who did not
resort to bribery of the election
Bribery demonstrated an immoral lack of respect for the constitution and reflected a lack of self-
belief and determination in winning an office through skill and being the best candidate
- Military tribune in Macedon in 67 – famed for spurning option of more luxurious lifestyle
Lived among his men on an equal foot – shared the same food, work and quarters
Led from the front
Renowned for his extreme discipline and expectations – followed by a loyal legion
- 63 – supported the prosecution of the successful consular candidate murena
On grounds of excessive bribery
Murena defended by cicero – won the case
o Cicero had gently mocked the extreme nature of Cato’s stoicism
- 60 – Cato proposed and passed 2 degrees in an attempt to deal with agents of bribery
- 51 – Cato’s own candidature for consulship failed
Possibly due to his adamant refusal to adopt this corrupt but commonplace practice
Cato’s allegiance to the optimates
- End of 60’s – Cato had become increasingly prominent in voicing the opinions of the optimates
Bound closely by ties of amicitia
- Optimates – politically conservative, embraced long-lived traditional policies and practice
Cato championing the optimate cause:
- Came from a noble family – further established his status
o Amicitia of marriage and political support
- Ideal of duty to and preservation of established state appealed to his stoic beliefs
- Formed opposition to populares – Cato saw them as embodied dangerous revolution
- Optimates’ most dangerous weapon when confronting rise of individuals who were prepared to gain
power though unconventional means
- Played a pivotal role in an event that (according to cicero) threatened the roman world with
annihilation – Catiline conspiracy
Catiline tried to overthrow the senate
Plot revealed by cicero during his consulship
Conspirators had been arrested
- Dec 5th – senate debated whether the conspirators should be considered for capital punishment
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