CLAS 160B1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 29: Optimates, Gallic Wars, Roman Calendar
24 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Great source for the period after sulla (78-44 bc) Didn"t have a noble background - no consuls or senators in his family. Advanced in rome by building his reputation - as a lawyer - and winning elections. He knew how to work the electoral process - his letters give us lots of details on how he did it. A consul tried to overthrow the constitution (unsuccessful) Catilinarian conspiracy at rome: attempt to seize power (unsuccessful) by. The age of big men who owed their power to military success and loyal soldiers; pompey, crassus, caesar. Optimates ( best man ): powerful men in the senate from influential old families trying to run the state. Cato the younger: one of them, great-grandson of cato the elder, championed ancient roman morals and values. Populares ( popular ( of the people ) party ) not super unified group opposed to the optimates, they were aristocrats, but not the in crowd.
