The Roman Journal August, 73BC

Written by: Dominic Pereira

THE ROMAN
JOURNAL
MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO WAS BORN ON JANUARY 3, 106 BC AND WAS
MURDERED ON DECEMBER 7, 43 BC. HIS LIFE COINCIDED WITH THE DECLINE
AND FALL OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC, AND HE WAS AN IMPORTANT ACTOR IN
MANY OF THE SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL EVENTS OF HIS TIME, AND HIS
WRITINGS ARE NOW A VALUABLE SOURCE OF INFORMATION TO US ABOUT
THOSE EVENTS. HE WAS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, AN ORATOR, LAWYER,
POLITICIAN, AND PHILOSOPHER (IEP)
Interview

We were very privileged to have the opportunity to have the
brilliant Cicero with us for a short interview as we all know that
Cicero has a tight schedule, considering his involvement in
politics, philosophy and the law.

The Roman Journal: Cicero we all know of
your love for politics, and how much it
means to you. Share with us your story of
how you got involved with our prestigious
political system?

Cicero: Well, you all know that officially
politicians are elected into the senate, but to
put it bluntly coming from the right family has
a lot to do with our political system. My
family was a part of the second tier
aristocracy, and we were not a part of the
circle of influence on Roman politics. My
father, however, was a learned man and
was wealthy enough to provide an education
for me and I was sent to study in Greece as
well as Rome. People coming from a
position like mine had two ways to gain
power and popularity to get into politics.











The military or the law. I was not fond of the
military and I had an unpleasant time
serving in the army under Pompey the
Great. So I decided to get in through being a
lawyer. Although I became a skilled orator
and a well-known lawyer, my ulterior motive
was to get into politics. Through many
successful trials in court, I was able to gain
the popularity of the people and build a vast
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network of connections to eventually earn
my way into the political system.

The Roman Journal: We know that you
place politics above all else, but you are also
a successful lawyer and arguably one of the
greatest philosophers of our time. Tell us
more about your life as a lawyer and
philosopher.

Cicero: (laughs) Yes you are correct about
my love for politics, politics come first in my
life, along with my family of course. Well, as
I said earlier I went into law because I
wanted to be a politician. That being said, I
still enjoyed my years as an advocate and I
excelled in being one. One of my many
achievements was as consul in 63 BC when
I was responsible for exposing the
conspiracy of Catiline. They tried to take
over the Roman state by force and I
heroically saved the commonwealth all by
myself. All five of the conspirators were put
to death on my very orders. Nothing to brag
about of course. Philosophy was a great
pastime that I got into, especially during
those long hours of my unjust exile. I was
able to create my three most esteemed
works, On the Orator, On the Republic, and
On the Laws.


















The Roman Journal: You earlier brought up
the topic of your unjust exile. What was the
cause of this mysterious disappearance
from the city?

Cicero: The First Triumvirate, the cause of
Romes instability. Pompey, Crassus, and of
course Caesar. As they were trying to take
over the Roman state, they saw my power
and influence and they wanted me to join
them as well. Being a loyal member to the
Roman Republic, I stood firm and rejected
their offer. They then saw me as a threat to
them and suddenly I was their enemy. I tried
to expose them like the way I exposed the
Catiline but they took away my ability to take
part in Roman politics. It was then that I
pursued philosophy and came up with my
timeless works. After many years of being in
the countryside, the First Triumvirate cut my
exile short and brought me back under the
condition that I had to work for them. It was
my only choice so I complied. After another
few years of being held back from politics, I
was able to take it back up again. Shortly
afterwards, Caesar was murdered by the
conspirators. I was at the wrong place at the
wrong time and although I had no
involvement with the murder of Julius
Caesar, I am considered to be a part of the
conspiracy. Mark Anthony had put me on his
list and I knew that I was in danger ever
since then. In fact, some of his men were
seen at my villa around a week ago.

The Roman Journal: Many have heard of
your successful son, Marcus and his
involvement with philosophy. Tell us more
about your plans for him and how you find
the time to be with your family and take care
of them amidst your busy schedule.

Cicero: I am quite proud of my son Marcus, I
can see that he has what it takes to become
a great Cicero as well. Personally, I would
like for him to become a philosopher, for he
does not have the desire to be a politician.
He wants to join the military like the rest of
his youngblood friends. I sent him to study in
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The Roman Journal 3
Greece and hopefully when he returns he
will consider taking up a more reasonable
career. It is true that I am a busy man and
there are times where I dont see my family
for days. My first wife, Terentia, whom I
divorced had no problem with that and she
wanted me to excel and be successful in the
political world. Even Plutarch stated, "she
took more interest in her husband's political
career than she allowed him to take in
household affairs." Sadly, she betrayed me
and that is why I had to divorce her. I usually
dont have the time to speak to my current
wife Publia as I am a very busy man. Many
have claimed that I married her to pay off
the dowry of my previous wife, but this is
simply not true and I love her with all of my
heart. I would have a better relationship with
my wife if I was not so busy. I should make
the effort to spend more time with my family.
You never know when gods decide to take
them away. My beloved daughter Tullia
suddenly became ill in February 45 BC and
died after having seemingly recovered from
giving birth to my grandson. It was then that
I lost the one thing that bound me to life.

The Roman Journal: Thank you for your
time Cicero, we wish you all the best.
Cicero: It was a pleasure. I should be going
soon. My servant has just reported
suspicious activity not too far from here. If I
get caught by Mark Anthony, I will be a dead
man for sure.















One of my greatest
achievements was as consul in
63 BC, when I was responsible
for exposing the conspiracy of
Catiline.
-CI CERO
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The Roman Journal 4
Roman Lifestyle for
Tourists

Athletics:
- Swimming*: Many Romans can be found
swimming in the Tiber river, next to the
Campus Martius, cooling off in the midst of
the Southern European heat. A favorite for
Roman boys. You might also want to
consider swimming in the plunge pools in
one of our many Roman Baths for a less
adventurous approach.
- Horseback Riding*: A very common
hobby for almost every Roman boy. You
must be a good equestrian to be a true
Roman.
-Running*: Another very common activity
among Roman boys. The Campus Martius is
a perfect location for arranging footraces for
your children.
-Wrestling or Boxing: Both very popular
sports among Roman men. You might want
to consider challenging a friend to a fight in
the palaestra. Although it might not be a
great choice for the entire family, its great for
improving overall fitness and strength if you
dont mind getting your hands dirty.
-Ball Games: Romans love to exercise
while playing ball games. Some of them
include handball, soccer, field hockey, catch
games, and perhaps even dodge ball. These
games take place in the ball courts, also
known as the palaestra or sphaerista.

Leisure:
- Hunting and Fishing*: One of the oldest
and favorite pastimes of the Roman elites.
Perfect for a father and son activity out in
the countryside.
- Board Games*: Romans also enjoy a wide
variety of board games, including Dice
(Tesserae), Knucklebones (Tali or Tropa)
Roman Chess (Latrunculi), Roman
Checkers (Calculi), Tic-tac-toe (Terni Lapilli),
and Roman backgammon (Tabula). Perfect
for the whole family.

Entertainment:
There many forms of public entertainment
as well.
- Chariot races at the Circus Maximus,
-musical and theatrical performances for a
more artistic form of entertainment.
-public executions and beast hunts are also
commonly enjoyed by Roman men. You
might want to leave the wife and kids at
home for this one.
-gladiatorial combat is loved and adored by
all Roman citizens. A must for every Roman
to experience. It takes place in Romes most
famous amphitheatre, the Colosseum, which
accommodates up to 50,000 spectators. If
you come at the right time, the arena
sometimes gets flooded to hold naval battles
(Naumachia) for the public to enjoy.

*Family Friendly
The Campus Martius is one of the most popular
recreational areas.
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The Roman Journal 5

Menu (La Tavernaccia)

Plain Porridge - 40 denarii

Porridge and Bread - 55 denarii

Fruit Platter (olives, dates, oranges, figs,
persimmon) - 80 denarii

Deluxe Platter (Fruits, Mixed Nuts- Almond,
walnuts, pistachio) - 100 denarii

Shellfish - 120 denarii

Game of the Day- 140 denarii

Pork - 170 denarii

Roast peacock/ostrich - 250 denarii

Baked Dormice with Honey - 280 denarii

Add 10 denarii for wine*

Fashion

Togas come in many colors and its difficult
to know when to put on your favorite purple
toga. With this guide youll always be
properly dressed and youll never be the odd
one out. If it is still too complicated for you,
you might want to just stick with the tunic.

A plain white toga can be worn by all men.
Perfect for a casual setting.

A white toga with a purple border is worn
by magistrates and upper class men.

A dark colored toga is worn at funerals.

Bleached togas are worn by politicians.

A purple toga with gold embroidery is
worn by victorious generals and by
emperors.


NEWEST TRENDS

Men are starting to wear more than one ring,
breaking the rules of only having one ring.

Men are also starting to grow their hair and
beards out long, possibly imitating Hadrian.








The Roman Journal August, 73BC

The Roman Journal 6
A Simple Guide to
our Social
Classes

With our newest guide to understanding
our citys complex social classes, you
wont mix up the Patricians with the
Plebeians any longer.

Patricians- The upper-class citizens
are called Patricians. They are the ones that
have the money to be educated. With
money comes privileges. They own large
amounts of property, can perform religious
customs, and make laws for the rest of the
citizens. They are automatically qualified to
take over the throne simply because they
are Patricians and they rule over the rest of
Rome.

Senators- This class is political. It
includes all men who serve in the Senate.
This class is dominated by the nobles

Equestrians- This class is based on
economics. A man could be in the
equestrian order if he possessed a stable
minimum amount of wealth (property worth
at least 400,000 sesterces); They could be
promoted to the upper class if they were
chosen for magistry.

Plebeians- the Plebeians are the poor
and the low-class citizens. There are more
Plebeians than Patricians. They participate
in the army and they pay the taxes for the
city. They are not allowed to participate in
the government or marry Patricians.


Commons- All of the freeborn Roman
citizens fall into this category. They have the
right to marry other Romans and their
children will be considered Roman citizens.

Latins- They are the freeborn residents of
Italy. They have some legal rights but are
not considered Roman citizens.

Foreigners- All other freeborn men and
women that live in the Roman Empire.

Freedpeople- Former slaves who have
bought their freedom or been manumitted
fall into this category. They are not fully free
and many owe duties to their former
masters. Their next generation however may
become fully free and even citizens of
Rome.

Slaves- People are born into slavery or
sold into slavery, through war or piracy.
Some plebeians that fall into debt might also
become slaves. They are at the very bottom
of our Roman society. Slaves can either be
freed by their mastered or they can pay their
masters for freedom. Whenever a slave
becomes free, a ceremony called
manumission takes place, at which the
freedom of the slave will be announced to all
the other Roman citizens.









Works Cited
"Roman Social Class and Public Display." Roman Social Class and Public Display. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June
2014. <http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/socialclass.html>.
"Social Structure in Rome." Ancient Rome. N.p., n.d. Web.
<http%3A%2F%2Fancientrome.wikispaces.com%2FSocial%2BStructure%2Bin%2BRome>.
"The Life of Marcus Tullius Cicero." The Life of Marcus Tullius Cicero. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 June 2014.
<http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/verres/verrescicero.html>.
"Marcus Tullius Cicero - Biography." Marcus Tullius Cicero. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 June 2014.
<http://www.egs.edu/library/cicero/biography/>.
"Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy." Cicero []. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2014.
<http://www.iep.utm.edu/cicero/>.
"Athletics, Leisure, and Entertainment in Ancient Rome." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 04
June 2014. <http://www.ancient.eu.com/article/98/>.

"The Romans - Clothing." The Romans - Clothing. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 June 2014.
<http://www.historyonthenet.com/Romans/clothing.htm>.