Roman Republic Discussion Questions

September 2: Livy and Early Rome Discussion
Readings: Livy Books 1 & 2

  1. What does Livy consider to be the main purposes of history, and how objective and accurate does he feel he needs to be?
  2. How does Livy know about the regal period? What clues does he give us to his sources?
  3. Which stories told by Livy are reminiscent of other stories you may have heard, and why?
  4. What does Livy’s account of the regal period suggest about the Roman character? Based on the stories Livy recounts, what themes seem to be important to Rome’s conception of her own history?
  5. How does Livy define Liberty, especially in Book 2?
  6. How does Livy depict the Plebeians (Plebs, People, Populace)? How are they treated and what do they want?
  7. What, according to Livy, are the causes of the enmity between the Patricians (Senate) and Plebeians (Plebs, People)? Does he assign blame?
  8. What is the purpose of the story of Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus (2.33-41)? How does it fit into the larger themes of the first two books?


September 12: XII Tables Discussion
Readings: Livy Book 3, XII Tables

  1. What elements in the third book of Livy are reminiscent of the first two books? Pay close attention to the fall of the decemvirs.
  2. What methods do the tribunes use to get their way? Does Livy view them as good or bad?
  3. What does it tell us about the Romans that the 12 Tables remained valid law for the entire history of Rome?
  4. What do these laws tell us about the state of Roman society in the mid-5th century? Pick out a couple of specific examples from the tables.
  5. Do the laws of the 12 Tables reflect the political circumstances that Livy describes surrounding their adoption?


September 23: Polybius Discussion 1
Readings: Polybius Book 1

  1. What does Polybius tell us about his subject and approach, and why does he begin his history where he does? How does Polybius’ view of history differ from Livy’s?
  2. How believable are the reasons Polybius gives us for Rome’s involvement in Sicily?
  3. Why does Polybius think understanding the First Punic War is important for his main theme?
  4. What characteristics of the Romans does Polybius seem to emphasize in describing the First Punic War? How do they contrast with the Carthaginians?
  5. What role does Polybius seem to assign to Fortune in the course and outcome of the First Punic War, and how does it relate to the nature of the Romans and Carthaginians themselves?
  6. Why does Polybius think Rome wins the First Punic War?


September 30: Polybius Discussion 2
Readings: Polybius Books 3, 6, 9, 10, 11, 15 excerpts

  1. What do you think of Polybius’ discussion of the causes of wars and the framework he gives. What does he regard as beginnings, pretexts, causes? Why does he provide this analysis? How well does it apply to any other war you might know about?
  2. Based on Polybius’ depiction of Hannibal and his remarks on Hannibal’s character, why is the Carthaginian so successful at defeating the Romans?
  3. How are Hannibal and Scipio contrasted, both implicitly and explicitly?
  4. What is Polybius’ account of the Roman constitution supposed to explain, and how successful is he?
  5. How is Rome’s constitution “mixed” and how stable is it?
  6. How well does the account of the regal period and its fall in Livy 1 fit (or not fit) Polybius’ understanding of government and how it eventually fails?
  7. How might the organization of the Roman government not be as great a check on one group’s gaining power as Polybius thinks?


October 21: Sallust Discussion 1
Readings: Sallust: War with Jugurtha

  1. Why does Sallust think the war with Jugurtha is worth recounting on its own? Does his narrative bear this out?
  2. How does Sallust contrast Romans in the time of Jugurtha (and his own time) with their ancestors?
  3. How does Sallust portray Jugurtha? What kinds of qualities in Jugurtha does Sallust emphasize, and what do they reveal about the Romans?
  4. What kind of appeals does Adherbal make in his speech to the Romans? Why aren’t they effective?
  5. To what does Sallust attribute the decline of the Roman Republic during this period? Which groups in Rome bear the most blame?
  6. What is the point of Sallust’s digression on the Carthaginians at 79 (p. 110)? 
  7. What does the fighting in Africa reveal about the state of the Roman army and Roman generalship?
  8. How is Marius’ rise to power a reflection of the larger problems in Rome at the time? Pay particular attention to his big speech. Why does Sallust think Marius is so successful?


October 28: How (not) to Run a Roman Province Discussion
Readings: Cicero: Against Verres II.5

  1. What assumptions about the duties and prerogatives of a Roman governor underly Cicero’s attacks on Verres?
  2. Besides the obvious desire for money, what motivates Verres?
  3. What does this speech reveal about Roman attitudes towards provincials, and the role of provincials in the Roman empire?
  4. Why is the pirate captain such a big deal for Cicero?
  5. What does this speech reveal about slavery and its effects on the Roman world?
  6. Why, according to the speech, does Hortensius defend Verres? What does speech show about the nature of the Roman aristocracy at this point?
  7. Beyond the trial itself, what recourse do provincials seem to have about a corrupt governor?


November 9: Cicero Discussion 
Readings: Cicero: On the Command of Gnaeus Pompeius, For ArchiasAgainst Catiline I & II, For Caelius, For Milo

  1. What is the position of Pompey (Pompeius) in Rome according to these speeches? Does it change in the 15-year interval between On the Command of Pompeius and the For Milo? What can we glean about Cicero’s own relationship with Pompey?
  2. How does Cicero portray finances and economic conditions in his speeches? What does this show about money, finances and their place in the turmoils of the late Republic?
  3. What do Cicero’s speeches show about the nature of the aristocracy? How does Cicero compare it to Rome’s past?
  4. How does Cicero use the example of Catilina and the Catilinarian conspiracy in his later speeches?
  5. What do Cicero’s speeches reveal about the young men of Rome? Does Caelius Rufus seem to follow the patterns laid out in the Catilinarians?
  6. What can we glean from Cicero’s speeches about Clodius, Clodius’ base of support, and Clodius’ plans for Rome? Does Cicero try to account for Clodius apparent popularity at all?
  7. How does Cicero present himself, his achievements, and his character in these speeches? What effect might this have on his audience?


November 16: Caesar Discussion
Readings: Caesar: Civil War excerpts; Cicero: For Marcellus; Cassius Dio Book 44

  1. How does Caesar justify invading Italy at the start of the Civil War? Does he come across as reasonable, or do his enemies seem to have been justified in forcing the issue?
  2. How does Caesar portray his own character and how does he contrast himself with his enemies?
  3. How does Caesar portray the Roman aristocracy, and how well does this fit what we have seen in the speeches of Cicero?
  4. How does Cicero’s praise of Caesar in the In Support of Marcellus compare with his praise of Pompey 20 years earlier? How does it compare with Caesar’s portrayal of himself in The Civil War?
  5. What is the state of the Roman aristocracy in the For Marcellus as compared to the earlier speeches?
  6. Cassius Dio is writing about 250 years after Caesar’s death. What is his attitude towards Caesar? Does he think that the assassination was justified?


November 30: Sallust Discussion 2 
Readings: Sallust: War with Catiline

  1. What does Sallust reveal about the appropriate pursuits of a Roman aristocrat?
  2. How is Catiline portrayed? How might he have been a worthy Roman aristocrat? How does his depiction in Catiline’s War similar or different to his depiction in Cicero’s Catilinarians?
  3. What is Sallust trying to show through his introduction?
  4. To what does Sallust attribute the success of the Romans? To what does he attribute their decline?
  5. How does the figure of Sulla loom over the events of the Catiline’s War?
  6. Why do you think Sallust chose to write his first historical work about a relatively minor event from 20 years earlier? How is the Catilinarian conspiracy relevant to the year 42, when Sallust was writing?
  7. In their great face-off, how is Cato able to defeat Caesar? Does Sallust want us to believe that the better man (or argument) won?
  8. How do the speeches of Cato and Caesar reflect the period after both their deaths?