...Jackie Pollard Adam Cleary Philosophy 07/30/14 Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero was a man that came into philosophical fame during the Roman Era. He came from a wealthy family and was born in 106 BC in a town called Arpinum located about 70 miles southeast of Rome. He was known to be a very talented young student which helped him get the opportunity to study in Rome. Cicero studied literature, philosophy, and law in Rome until his studies were interrupted with serving time in the military under Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo during the Social War. After serving in war he continued his studies alongside Servius Sulpicius Rufus and Titus Pomponius. It turns out Cicero was a far better lawyer than those he studied alongside with. His love of Philiosophy flourished during his time of study in Rome and he became one of the leading political figures of his era. Some of his theories are still used to this day. Cicero believed that justice was not a real thing. It is not something that is constant. It is not something that can be controlled. It is each state or person’s own idea of what is right or wrong. What some states may believe is just others might believe is unjust according to their rules, their laws. Who is to really say what is just? Cicero created that question in everyone’s mind of what is really right and how do we really know it is right. An example is hunting animals seems right to us as human beings. We as humans think it is just since we need them to survive. Animals...
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...restoring our faith in democracy. “ -Peter Ustinov In the book Imperium the characters are put in several situations in which they use their stance in politics to their advantage in their own personal agenda. Cicero plays the role well of the “everyman’s” politician. He learns very quickly in his career that he has to learn to play both sides of the vote and appeal to the rich as well as the commoners. In doing this he amasses more favors to his fellow politicians than he would ever really be able to repay. Caesar turns himself into the ultimate puppet master to achieve all that he wishes. He uses Pompey and Crassus to put all of his ideas into motion. The only person that seems to be unaffected by the corruption of politics is Cicero’s cousin Lucius. Lucius feared the corruption so much that he takes his own life. Cicero is first introduced to the reader as a lovable politician from humble beginnings who marries a rich woman in order to meet the money limit of Roman politics. He is a lawyer who surrounds himself with philosophers and people who rival his own intellect. Once Cicero announces his plan to be consul in the future, he sets out to achieve this no matter what it takes. After the death of his cousin, it seems as though Cicero loses his morality completely. Cicero easily gets swept up in making his way in Roman politics and all of the things that go along with it. He makes a few enemies when he decides to represent the people of Sicily against their current governor,...
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...A STUDY OF FULVIA by Allison Jean Weir A thesis submitted to the Department of Classics In conformity with the requirements for The degree of Master of Arts Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada December 2007 copyright © Allison Jean Weir 2007 Abstract Who was Fulvia? Was she the politically aggressive and dominating wife of Mark Antony as Cicero and Plutarch describe her? Or was she a loyal mother and wife, as Asconius and Appian suggest? These contrasting accounts in the ancient sources warrant further investigation. This thesis seeks to explore the nature of Fulvia’s role in history to the extent that the evidence permits. Fulvia is most famous for her activities during Antony’s consulship (44 BC) and his brother Lucius Antonius’ struggle against C. Octavian in the Perusine War (41-40 BC). But there is a discrepancy among the authors as to what extent she was actually involved. Cicero, Octavian and Antony, who were all key players in events, provide their own particular versions of what occurred. Later authors, such as Appian and Dio, may have been influenced by these earlier, hostile accounts of Fulvia. This is the first study in English to make use of all the available evidence, both literary and material, pertaining to Fulvia. Modern scholarship has a tendency to concentrate almost exclusively on events towards the end of Fulvia’s life, in particular the Perusine War, about which the evidence is much more abundant in later sources such as Appian and...
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...CJS/220 CheckPoint: Attorney-Client Confidentiality Instructor Stephen Gillespi Student Cora Sue Clauss 11/09/2011 Attorney client confidentially has many aspects to it. It’s a basic construction in the judicial system. It can be found in Roman law, “As a basic construction in the judicial system, the privilege is an ancient device. It can be found even in Roman law—for example, Marcus Tullius Cicero, while prosecuting the governor of Sicily, could not call the governor's advocate as a witness, because if he were to have done so, the governor would have lost confidence in his own defender. Over the years, the close tie between attorney and client developed further with reforms in English Law,” (Duke L. & Tech) One reason for providing privileged confidentially is to encourage communication between the attorney and his or her client. Disclosing information to an attorney allows all information to be protected from discovery during trial, and keeping it upheld forever. Some concerns do arise concerning client confidentially. This privilege is not absolute, and must be narrowly construed since it impedes full and free discovery of the truth. Privilege belongs to the client. An attorney must properly assert the privilege on the client’s behalf and take care not to waive it. Problems arise when this privilege prevents disclosure of information that would be relevant to legal proceedings. The courts are cautious when examining...
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...Summary of Plutarch • Cicero has good leader skills as it says that he handled cases well and fairly • Highlights how Cicero has big competition as he was stood against a number of men with good names eg. Licinius Macer who has the support of Crassus- emphasizes how having friends makes a difference • Macer was confident that he had won the election and went home and got a haircut and new clothes- highlights the importance of winning -When Macer found out he hadn’t won he killed himself • When Vatinus came to the court over which Cicero was presiding and requested something of him, Cicero sat and thought about it cleverly -Vatinus then said that if he were praetor he wouldn’t have made any question of the matter- shows how clever Cicero really is • Manilius was also brought to Cicero on a charge of peculation, he had the support of the people -Cicero only granted him one day to make his defense instead of Manilius’ preferred couple of days and the people didn’t like Cicero because of it - the tribunes then took Cicero infront of a public meeting and accused him of acting unfairly - but Cicero explained that he only had one more day as Praetor and he had deliberately fixed the trial on that day as he wanted to do the trial himself instead of someone else doing it - this shows that Cicero helped Pompey out and got the people on his side • People then agreed that change offers stability • Pompey at this time was at...
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...EUH 2000 0010 September 11, 2003 Natural Law – Essay #1 Cicero felt that Natural law is something that was created divinely before humanity was capable of doing so for itself. It is a morality ingrained in us since creation, before there was any set government or politician to create laws. “This power is not only older than peoples and governments but is of the same age as the God who protects and rules both Heaven and earth.” Though he concedes that, “Men introduced such laws to insure the protection of citizens and states, as well as the peaceful and happy lot of mankind.”[1] So to Cicero, as I would believe to any ancient mind, since Natural Law is divine it supersedes anything man-made. It is also important to realize that these Natural Laws have lasted the test of time, if you take into consideration that most of these laws are found in the Ten Commandments. I personally feel that Natural Laws supersede any man-made law because these laws are the backbone of a society’s moral structure. Now what has to be considered is, what is Natural Law? I can concede what is considered to be some Natural Laws, do not steel, kill, covet, etc. But is it also Natural Law to not have premarital sex or to not masturbate? The fact that I can bring up these qualifications to question what is Natural Laws is probably why modern lawyers do not use them in their arguments. I can say, that I personally do not follow the covenants of Christianity or any religion similar, i.e...
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...During the last century BC the Roman Republic was in turmoil, civil wars had wrecked the country, and out of these conflicts came a powerful dictator the general known as Sulla. Sulla took power through corruption and violence. His dictatorship was characterised by the constitutional reforms that he tried to implement in order to prevent future violence, and paradoxically to retain the traditional Roman power distribution. These reforms did not create an environment in which the Roman Republic was better off, the senate was weakened and corrupted and he failed to curtail the power that the major generals had gained through the Marian reforms. Furthermore he damaged the republic by setting a precedent for future leaders to follow when he marched on Rome with his own army, an example which would be followed by generals such as Caesar. Whilst there was a certain inevitability surrounding the fall of the Roman Republic, some scholars believe that through concerted efforts to reduce the power of the military Sulla could have saved the Republic. Sulla’s reforms, whilst they were able to be enforced by him, curbed the violence and made the Roman Republic a more civil society, however, once he was no longer around the Republic reverted back to violence and instability. This shows that these reforms lacked popular following and there was no longevity in them. Sulla’s dictatorship, though brief, made many changes to the Roman system that would not remain in place after his leadership ended...
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...Literary essay “Here There Be Tygers” ”The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who want to learn” – Marcus Tullius Cicero The school is supposed to be a place where children can let their imagination flow. But in the school of the 1960´s, rules, authorities, discipline and the promise of physical punishment to those who did not obey, subjugated children’s imagination. Stephen King’s short story from 1968 “Here There Be Tygers” is about a strict teacher and a young boy whose imagination comes to live in the shape of a fearsome tiger, and challenges the order and the strict discipline of a US primary school. The story is narrated from the main character Charles´ perspective. The narrator is a third person, non-omniscient narrator, which means that we see the world trough Charles´ eyes, from a child’s perspective. This signifies that we see things that happen, the way he experiences it. To Charles, the tiger, which he encounters in the men’s bathroom, is as real as Miss Bird. Charles feels that his teacher, Miss Bird, is hostile towards him, the narrator says: ”She meant to pounce. Charles thought that miss bird was about to find out what pouncing was really about”(p.159, l.23-25). This displays Charles´ apprehension towards miss Bird because, from his perspective, it feels like his teacher really is attacking him. From a grown ups perspective, miss Birds behaviour would not seem as aggressive as it does to Charles. Charles has a very strained...
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...Cassius is one of the main, more important conspirators in Julius Caesar. He tends to take charge when it comes to the orders and he basically lead the over all plan for the killing of Julius Caesar. Two of the main character traits Cassius possesses are that he is very manipulative and persuasive. He hates the way Rome treats Caesar in the way of a god, just like many of the other conspirators. He complains about Caesar’s power quite often. In Act I Scene II, lines 146-148, Cassius says: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” Here he is saying that it’s Rome’s fault for worshiping such a man like Caesar, and that men control their own fate, so it’s up to them to take Caesar down. Cassius...
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...Thesis statement: The result of human folly is shown in both stories, which contain similarities and differences through the elements of themes, symbolism, and characterization. I. Theme A. Preservation of history B. Destruction of history II. Symbolism A. Black box - Symbol of the way things have always been, and the way people settle into doing things the way they were taught rather than thinking for themselves B. House - Symbol of the way things have always been, there is always an upper class, there is always corruption III. Characterization A. Tessie 1. Jokes around, vocal about opinions 2. Backed by feeling of injustice B. Trevor 1. Quiet, withdrawn, appears indifferent, schemes on his own 2. Backed by feelings of bitterness Both “The Destructors,” by Graham Greene, and “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson offer insight to the limited wisdom of man, as well as his stubbornness and sin nature. When man is left to his own devices and limited knowledge, destruction is sure to follow. The result of human folly is shown in both stories, which contain similarities and differences through the elements of theme, symbolism, and characterization. Although in both stories the prevailing theme is that of established history, one sets out to destroy history and the other seeks to change it for the better. Steve Maraboli stated, “Letting go means to come to the realization that some people...
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...Is Shakespeare’s portrayal of the common people of Rome realistic? Why did the common people of Rome kill Cinna the poet? Shakespeare’s portrayal of the common people of Rome is realistic since he shows how people act when they are part of a crowd. The image of disordered society also influences the act of Rome populace since there are no rules. Shakespeare realized that people tend to follow the crowd; therefore, he uses this point to exemplify mob mentality which is prevalent throughout the play. In Act I, the commoners are cheering for Caesar after the defeat of Pompey, Marullus, a tribune, reminds them of how they had similarly cheered for Pompey in the same streets. The people once wait “with patient expectation, to see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome” (I.i.42-43) This shows how the crowed seems to be easily swayed in their allegiance. This illustrates how fickle the people are and how they are able to quickly change loyalties to whoever is in power. Not much has changed in modern times. Most people still tend to follow whoever is in charge because they feel it is safer to stick with what everybody else is doing. This is an example of mob mentality. Mark Antony understands this fact about the people and uses it to his advantage when the conspirators later assassinate Caesar. The commoners’ new loyalty to Caesar is similar to the ease with which Cassius convinces Brutus (with no real evidence) that Caesar wants to be king and should therefore be murdered...
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...Read the Following Passage Carefully. What Does It Tell Us About Plutarch’S View of the Relationship Between Antony and Cleopatra?Read the following passage carefully. What does it tell us about Plutarch’s view of the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra?It has to be remembered that Plutarch’s Life of Antony was written one hundred years after the event in an era when Rome was at the top of its game. It is well known that ‘Cleopatra she lost and, as the winners in conflicts tend to write history, it is their images of the losers that prevail.’ (Fear, 2008. P.7)Plutarch wrote the ‘Life of Antony’ in a Roman context. He was a moralist of the old school and although he was well read and well bread, he was a garrulous, sententious and not interested in evolution of civilisation. This is very clear in this extract. Romans believed that romantic infatuation was a weakness of character. Plutarch manifests this with ‘Antony’s involvement with Cleopatra becomes a sort of parable of how the great can be destroyed by their moral flaws’ (Fear 2008. P.14)From the beginning of this extract it seems like any normal courtship between two people. With the help of emotive words such as, ‘Fresh delight’ and ‘Charm,’ arousing feelings using imagery, that she can deliver solace to him. He then brings in a negative tone, especially with Cleopatra, by saying, ‘kept him in constant tutelage and released him neither night nor day.’ It characterises her as having an unnatural hold over. Cassius...
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...The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar There are many different characters with different personalities throughout “The tragedy Of Julius Caesar” such as Brutus and Cassius. Along with the many differences they have Cassius and Brutus also have a lot of similarities such as how they both think that Caesar is too powerful. A major difference between them is their moral choices and reasons for killing Caesar. When Brutus and Cassius were first introduced you could see their differences clearly but as the play develops people discover that the have a lot more similarities than it first appeared. A difference between Cassius and Brutus is that they have very different morals. When it comes to Cassius to killing Antony he thinks that Antony will become a nuisance and a possible threat. “As to annoy us all; which to prevent, Let Antony and Caesar fall together” (2.1.160.). Unlike Cassius, Brutus thinks that it is unnecessary to kill anybody other than Caesar because it would be just killing senselessly. “For Antony is but a limb of Caesar. Let’s be sacrificers, but not butchers.” (2.1.165.). Brutus thinks that Antony is of no threat to the conspirators and he does not want unnecessary killing. If Brutus had followed Cassius’ advise and kill Antony they could have avoided the war and Brutus and Cassius would not have committed suicide. A similarity that Brutus and Cassius have in their personalities is that they both want to kill Caesar because they think he has too much...
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...Men willingly believe what they wish."- Julius Caesar. The men who followed Caesar were always set aside and seen as less by Caesar. the two m en who first joined the conspiracy to kill Caeser were Brutus and Cassius. Although the two men a re significantly different, that just helps the situation. Like magnets there differences cl ick. Brutus is a beloved man of Rome, well respected. in act one scene 2 you see how blind Brutus is. Cassius sees his chance to make Brutus think Cassius loves him and that not even Brutus sees how great he really is. Cassius and Brutus spea k as Brutus hears the people want to crown Caesar, and it is received that even Brutus would not wa nt that to happen, as he says he loves Caesar but that he loves honor as well, and he lov es honor more than he fears death. So far we see Brutus loves Rome, loves Caesar, but also we would n ot like to see Caesar crowned. Brutus is a strong character, a friend, husband, military l eader, beloved by the people of Rome. His strongest characteristic is how much he listens to a nyone, his trust, he is very easy persuaded proven by Cassius's story of how both men were born free and how Cassius had to save Caesar in the Tiber river. it appears that Cassius succeeded in convincing Brutus or at least left him thinking if Caesar is fit or better than him. Brutus ends up j oining with Cassius, his motives are that Rome will fall and he loves Rome so he will take it into his own hands to save this place...
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...Philo writing in regard to the Egyptians, “for the Egyptians . . . is jealous by nature - and they took others good luck as their own misfortune. The subject of envy will be addressed later as a consequent of limited good. The student has an attitude of competitiveness that tries to gain favor at the speaker’s expense. Josephus as he recounts his life and tells of the a situation where a colleague, operating from limited good, reacts with envy toward his success and attempts to dishonor him. Josephus writes, “When John, son of Levi . . . was informed how all things succeeded to my mind and that I was much in favor with those that were under me, as also that the enemy were greatly afraid of me, he was not pleased with it, as thinking my prosperity tended to his ruin. So he took up bitter envy and hostility against me; and hoping that he could inflame those that were under me to hate me, he should put an end to the prosperity I was in.” The perception of limited good is evident in the Roman Empire and particularly in the New Testament ministry of Jesus. Malina contends that limited good existed in the New Testament. Malina writes, “the people present in the New Testament would see their existence as determined and limited by the natural and social resources of their village . . . Such socially limited and determined existence could be verified by experience and lead to the perception that all goods available to a person are, in fact, limited.” Malina is correct, in...
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