Making Enemies

The last era of the Roman Republic is known for its fierce political rivalries. Within a crumbling system, individuals strove for supremacy on the battlefield—and on the speaker’s platform. In the political culture of the late Roman Republic, a politician was by definition an orator. Before juries, voters, and peers, the elite competed for renown and influence, often at the expense of each other. With words, a Roman politician made many enemies. In this antagonistic political culture, morality w