Cicero's 'On Government'

[primsong]

Having finished the amazing On Old Age and other essays, I've picked up a copy of Cicero's oratories and essays On Government - even just the first one, a legal opposition to a corrupt governor, is already giving me some deja-vu on some of the abuses of power and position we have now, the pulling strings for favorites and cronies, setting up straw men to hide money-grabs etc. etc. going on now. And the defense trying to say 'well, yeah, he did some things that probably weren't so great but he's such a great leader, we really can't afford to lose great leaders like him...he's a hero!" (then Cicero proceeds to reveal the truth behind his so-called nonexistent 'heroism', all manufactured for appearance, I love it)

The defense demanded it be argued before a jury of Senators only, then when that was accepted, they stuffed the pool of Senators with 300 newbies of their choosing... even stacked 'town-halls' are recycled news here. *rolls eyes* Reminds me of the Senators in Letters that hired men to holler and protest around someone's house to make it look like their cause was 'popular' with the citizens when it wasn't.

I wish all of our legislators were required to study what happened to Rome - not the final collapse so often referred to but why the Republic crumbled until tyranny was possible.

I <3 Cicero and how his 'voice' comes through in his writing so after a while you get to 'know him' - it helps that I'd already read the excerpts from his Letters and knew something of the man behind the speech. He really was amazing - yes, he had his human foibles, but I would have loved to have heard him speak.

Comments

[acciochocolate.livejournal.com]

The more things change...

I'm reminded of a cartoon from the turn of the next-to-last century with the larger-than-life Senators from Standard Oil and other such robber baron companies being recognized on the floor.

And also, how the late comedian Bill Hicks' comments on the Gulf War sounded so timely all over again in regards to the latest war in the Mid-East.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Isn't it so true! In a way, it gives me hope because it says plenty of other people have made it through similar and worse and we're all still here...