Brian’s Reviews > The Last Generation of the Roman Republic > Status Update

A central feature of Roman political life was the system of patronage and clientage. A large proportion of the proletariate possessed closer bonds to individual houses of the nobilitas than to others in their own social class.

"Principal agent in the destruction of the Republic, so it would appear, was the Roman army...Once imbued with patriotic ardor, it had transferred its loyalty from the state to its own generals and leaders, producing, in effect, a series of private, client forces with no abstract attachments to the Republic."

"The direction of post-Sullan society moved from flexible institutions toward strictly defined practices. Roman statesmen were, on the whole, sincere and assiduous in attacking contemporary problems. But the means employed, a proliferatiom of statutory law, may have contributed to the Republic's undoing."

What we consider the First Triumvirate is a simple historical naming. Crassus, Caesar and Pompey didn't consider themselves a triumvirate (unlike Octavius, Antony and Lepidus years later, who did) - Gruen's explanation of play-by-play political realities between these three men is fascinating (for those who enjoy political intrigue, anyway).

Fantastic first two chapters, preface and intro. Gruen has a masterly command of his subject and he writes for both the scholar (some footnotes in Latin!) and the initiate (me) alike.

Another Vollmann referred book from RURD - is it ok to look forward to a 6 hour flight to crack into this?