The year of his consulship had been their, as well as his, finest hour. Surely this sense of common purpose could be maintained? What was a republic, after all, if not a partnership of interest and justice? Naturally, Cicero himself, as “the saviour of his country,” would have to remain at the helm, but he graciously accepted that other leading figures, Pompey especially, would also have their parts to play. All citizens—senators, equestrians, and poor alike—would live in harmony. Self-interest would be subordinated to the interests of Rome. As a manifesto, of course, this was a vision of
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