Cicero's Post Reditum Speeches: Three Studies
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Durham E-Theses Cicero's post reditum speeches: three studies Heppel, Sophie How to cite: Heppel, Sophie (1995) Cicero's post reditum speeches: three studies, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/5404/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk CICERO'S POST REDITUM SPEECHES: THREE STUDffiS SOPfflEHEPPEL ABSTRACT TMs thesis is divided into three subject areas. The first section examines Cicero's en:5)loyment of the terms "amicitia" and "inimicitia". It takes the form of a prosopographical study of all those named. The Repubhc came before all ties of "amicitia" and "inimicitia". Cicero saw his cause as one and the same as that of the Republic. The second section is divided into four sub-sections. The first deals with Cicero's references to the Consulsl^p. Consuls must possess certain essential qualities and abide by a code of practice. The second sub-section contains an analysis of Cicero's references to the Tribunate. The Tribiinates of Clodhis, Milo and Sestius are assessed in detaiL Clodhis' legislation may be defended. Cicero's attitude towards "vis" is ambivalent. Cicero's references to violence are fsa more fi^equent in the Senatorial speech. The third sub-section looks at Cicero's treatment of pubhc meetings and assemblies. Cicero's descE5)tions of the meetings held in 58 B.C. are compared with those of 57 B.C. They are contrasted with Cicero's ideal Cicero is keen to draw attention to the consensus that recalled him. Finally, all Cicero's allusions to the Senate are analysed. Cicero exaggerates the extent to which the Senate lost its authority in 58 B.C. Cicero boasts of the consensus in fsvom of his recaL Cicero extols the comitia centuriata. The final section analyses Cicero's references to place. This section is divided into three themes. The first tiieme is "the city lost, the city restored". Cicero employs the connotations of specific places in the city to enhance this central theme. The second theme examdnes Cicero's corcparison between city and country. The country receives great praise. The last theme looks at allusions to the Emphe. This reveals the Roman ciiriosity in foreign lands and prejudice against foreign people. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be pubhshed without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. Cicero's post reditum Speeches: Three Studies Sophie Heppel Submitted for the degree of Master of Arts, Department of Classics,University of Durham 1995 2 JUL 1996 CONTENTS 1. iitroduction 1 2. Chapter One Cicero's Treatment of "amicitia" and "inimicitia" 7 3. Chapter Two Governmental Institutions 48 Cicero's references to the Consulslrp and its abuse 48 Cicero's references to 'Tribunatus" 67 Cicero's references to "Senatus Auctoritas" 99 Cicero's references to Assemblies 112 4. Chapter Three Cicero' s Treatment of Place 130 5. Conclusion 179 6. BibUography 188 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without her prior consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. The material in this thesis has not previously been submitted for a degree in this or any other university. Acknowledgements I would hke to thank all the members of staff of the Department of Classics at the University of Durham for their he^ and encouragement. In particular I wish to express my gratitude to Dr. David Levene for his time and patience -when, the world of conq)uter technology seemed against me. My deepest thanks go to my friends Colin Ilett and Duncan Barker for being there to he^ me ui the final stages of this worL Most of all I wish to thank my supervisor Dr. Clemence Schuhze whose encouragement, dedication and friendship has made this thesis possible. INTRODUCTION The Catilinarian conspiracy in 63 B.C., during Marcus Tullius Cicero's Consulship, marks the beginning of a chain of events vMch led ultimately to Cicero's banishment from Rome in March 58 B.C. At the end of 63 B.C. the Senate was left with the decision of how to punish the captured conspirators. The details of the debate wdiich took place on 5 December are unreliable. However, C. Julius Caesar's opinion was well known. He bitterly opposed the death penalty and at one point seemed to have won his audience over. As nothing was ever formally resolved, Cicero ordered the conspirators to be put to death. Cicero was hailed "parens patriae" for bringing about the suppression of the conspiracy. Cicero did not take up a govemorshq) at the end of the year; he remained in Rome. In 62 B.C. P. Clodhis Pulcher, a young noble and formerly a friend of Cicero's, was charged with having violated the sacred rites of the Bona Dea and an "incestum" trial against him was set up. At the trial Cicero completely obliterated Clodhis' ahbi and later, after Clodhis' acquittal, charged that the jiirors were corrupted. This incident marks the beginning of their "inimicitia". On Cn. Ponq)eius Magnus' return from the East in 60 B.C. the coalition between himself Caesar and P. Licinius Crassus was formed. Cicero was in strong opposition to the collaboration and made his views pubUc. In turn Caesar made frequent offers to Cicero throughout 60 B.C. to join them but the orator declined. In 59 B.C. Caesar took up his Consulsh^ and began working to fiilfil the promises he had made to his fellow Triumvirs. His conduct made him many enemies; amongst them was Cicero. At the trial of C. Antonius in March of that year, Cicero was said to have made a direct attack on Caesar and his Consulship. A short time later, Caesar, acting as Chief Pontiff oversaw the adoption of Clodius which brought about his transition to plebeian status and enabled him to stand for the Tribunate of the following year in which he was successful Upon taking up his office on December 10 59 B.C. Clodius brought forward two bills concerning Cicero, the second of wiiich formally exiled him by name. The details of these two bills will be discussed in more detail wien Clodius' Tribunate is examined. Brie%, Cicero was banished due to his decision, mentioned above, to execute the captured Catihnarian conspirators. This action was said to be illegal because it breached the "lex Sen^jronia" of Gahis Gracchus in 123 B.C. This law reaffirmed the right of appeal to the people m capital cases and rendered magistrates who transgressed it Uable to prosecution. Cicero had been acting under the cover of a "senatus consultum ultimimi" which had been put in place six weeks earher due to the threat inqjosed by the Catilinarian affair. There is much confusion surrounding this issue and the extent to which the decree allowed the Consuls extra powers. It is generally beheved that it no more than reminded the magistrates of their duty, that is, to protect the res pubhca. It did not therefore grant them any extra jurisdiction or permit them to break the laws. However in extreme cases, vsien the national security was at risk, the Consuls were permitted to take any action necessary to save the state. The basis for Clodius' attack on Cicero in this respect therefore must be that the threat did not affect the stability of the res publica. The conspirators were captured and presumably could have had other effective forms of punishment exacted upon them This was Caesar's desire and his argument was that to have them executed would set a bad precedent and might seem tyrannical The legal arguments do not end here. Clodius' second bill was said to be "privilegium"; that is, it was a measure directed at an individual, naming Cicero specifically, a procedure judged illegal ever since the Twelve Tables. Cicero had however already left Rome, a move he was to regret later. It was seen as an admission of guilt and so Clodius' law was passed in the concilium plebis and Cicero was officially made an outlaw. For the rest of that year Cicero fell into decline, and the tone of his letters is despairing. A condition of Clodius' law was that no discussion on the matter could take place in that year. Behind the scenes, however, Cicero's closest fiiends were busy campaigning on his behalf with the result that the new year brought fresh hope to the cause. Nearly all the magistrates of the following year were favourable to Cicero including both Consuls. On July 18 57 B.C. the Comitia Centuriata voted to recall Cicero to Rome. That very day the orator left Dyrrachium and began his month long joiuney back to the city. After thanking Atticus for his support, Cicero defines his current position in a letter written in September 57 B.C: "As regards my poUtical position, I have attained wiiat I thought would be the hardest thing to recover - my distinction at the Bar, my authority in the House, and more popularity with the sound party than I desire...