Turning The Tables

Ancient roman civilization, a time of prosperity, quarrel, and new ideas, ideas that have brought Rome to the forefront of the ideal civilization. The reason I say ideal is this, Rome’s government adopted a central idea of “libertas” the Greek word for liberty or freedom, and even though this concept was merely passive, this concept became a triumph throughout the roman public to have freedom from a superior dictator. During a time of establishment of new government there were two historians by the names of Sallust, which was an author at the end of the diminishing Late Republic era; and Tacitus an author that was observing an era of new beginnings, called the Early Empire. Although these two historians wrote around the same time span, their views on the time period and government were completely different.

During the Late Republic era the government was in the midst of change, the policy of “ Res Publica “ is being compressed and almost discarded. Sallust as a historian around this time period analyzes the late republic, and the way he records the information at time is very interesting. When comparing Tacitus’s primary text to Sallust’s, the depth of detail Sallust shows gives me the impression that the historian was a strong supporter of the government in place. I believe since his exert of text was in such detail, Sallust symphonizes with the Plebeians explaining why the oppressed class should have their Res Publica.

Flourishing late republic Rome was always at war and when this nation was at war, Rome thrived internally and externally. The acquisition of new land contributed to the size and power of the state, bringing new challenges that made Rome constantly reconstruct themselves. This gave the Late Republic era of Rome moral structure that contributed to Rome’s success. Then there’s Rome when they are not expanding or at war,