Böcker av Henrik (King's College London) Mouritsen

"The boni - the wealthy, but largely non-political, section of the Roman elite - have hitherto escaped scholarly attention. This book draws a detailed and rounded picture of the boni, their identity, values and interests, also tracing their - often tense - relationship to the political class, whose inner circle of noble families eventually lost their trust and support. Concerns about property played a central part in the process, and the book explores key Roman concepts associated with property, including frugality, luxury, patrimony, debt and the all-important otium that ensured the peaceful enjoyment of private possessions. Through close readings of Cicero and other republican writers, a new narrative of the 'fall of the republic' emerges. The shifting allegiances of the wider elite of boni viri played an important part of the events that brought an end to the republic and ushered in a new political system better attuned to their material interests"--

A very readable introduction to Roman Republican politics which takes a distinctive and original approach while exploring much-contested issues concerning political rituals, popular participation, and the role of ideology. It will be important for all students and scholars of Roman history and of politics in general.

The first comprehensive study of Roman freedmen and women in over a century, covering all major aspects of the subject. These include manumission practices, legal status, the patronus-libertus relationship, freedmen's place in public life and the self-representation of freedmen and women through epigraphic and literary sources.

This book deals with popular political participation in republican Rome and contributes to an ongoing debate about the role of the people in the running of the Roman state. It approaches the issue from a practical perspective, looking at the way political meetings and assemblies functioned.