Dictator

Thanks to the clever use of Cicero's secretary, Tiro, as narrator of the tumultuous period of the first and second triumvirate in the late Roman Republic, I was able to follow one disaster after another. Cicero found himself in political conflict again trying to maintain equilibrium between opposing groups. It is disturbing to note that all of the principals involved in the upheaval perished: Caesar, Pompey, Crassus were executed or assassinated. Mark Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide as did Brutus - Cato's suicide was a statement in itself; his suicide was a symbolic sacrifice to the Republic. One may wonder at all the bloodletting and brutality as evidenced by the slaughter of armies, civilian populations and prisoners of war. Was it excessive testosterone or a society captivated by the power of the gods they worshipped? Caesar seized that power in declaring himself a god. Octavian, Julius Caesar's adopted son, or Augustus as he became known, allied himself with differing opponents and was actually the last man left standing. One of his first acts was to eliminate all of his adversaries through execution and confiscating of their properties in order to finance his emerging dictatorship Unfortunately, Cicero and his brother and nephew were among thousands who were pursued and executed. Cicero tried to preserve the republic by trying to fill power vacuums as they occurred, but lacked understanding of plebeian politics and was continually betrayed by supposed allies. Fortunately, Cicero is remembered for his profound influence on civilization through his writings on philosophy, the Latin language, Law, oration and rhetoric.