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The world of ancient Romans abounded in a number of amazing curiosities and information. The source of knowledge about the life of the Romans are mainly works left to us by ancient writers or discoveries. The Romans left behind a lot of strange information and facts that are sometimes hard to believe.
Optimates were a political faction in the late Roman Republic that emerged from conflicts between the senate and the populares, a faction that sided with the people. The term “optimates” comes from the Latin optimates, which means “the best”, “the most distinguished”, and their goal was to defend the traditional values and interests of the senate and the aristocracy.
Foedus, i.e., covenant or treaty, was one of ancient Rome’s most important diplomatic tools. During the early Republic, Rome used the foedera to secure alliances and stabilize its political influence in Italy and on the outskirts of the growing state. These were formal agreements concluded with other cities, states and peoples that regulated the obligations, privileges and relationships between the parties.
In the works of Cicero (106 – 43 BCE), one of the most important philosophers and politicians of ancient Rome, the state (res publica) was primarily a community of citizens. His approach to politics and the state was firmly rooted in the concept of the common good, which he called res populi – the cause of the people.
In the Roman Republic, the Senate was one of the most important political bodies, playing a key role in shaping law and policy. It was headed by princeps senatus. This title did not mean formal power but brought enormous prestige and political influence. Who was princeps senatus, what functions did he perform and why was this title so important in the republican system of Rome?
Roman republic is famous for its rich political system, which has developed a complex power structure over the centuries. At the heart of this system, various political parties competed with each other, the most famous of which were the optimates and the populares. While the optimates represented the interests of the aristocracy, the populares became the spokesman for the plebeians and those who were marginalized by the traditional elites.
Cato the Elder, a tenacious defender of Roman values, became famous, among others, for his opposition to the repeal of lex Oppia. It was then, in one of the first mass demonstrations by women in Roman history, that Roman women gathered on the Capitoline Hill to demand an end to restrictions on luxury. Cato, faithful to ancient traditions, headed the camp of opponents.
The battle of Philippi (43 BCE) in the far north of Greece, lost by the optimates, put an end to dreams of restoring the republic. Brutus and Cassius were dead, and soon after Cicero’s beheaded head was hung on a Roman rostra. The road to the empire led through Actium (31 BCE) and the victory of Augustus, or perhaps Gaius Octavian, over Antony and Cleopatra.
From the beginning of Roman statehood, various types of population gatherings played a huge role. They had different names – tribe committees, centurial committees, and curial committees. Their shape and competencies have evolved, so I do not want to go into excessive detail here and will continue to refer to them generally as folk assemblies.
Agrippina the Younger became famous, among others, as Nero’s mother. She was the daughter of Germanicus – an outstanding Roman leader and Agrippina the Elder. She was born around 16 CE in a city located on the Rhine. Her husband, whom she married at the age of 13, was Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus.
Which version of Rome is more interesting to you: the republic or the empire? On the one hand, the severity of customs, and on the other, the debauchery and decadence of the emperors. Here the military genius of Scipio Africanus, the morality of Cato and the brilliant speeches of Cicero, and there – Caligula, Nero and a galaxy of other emperors with more or less twisted psyche.
