CONSPIRATA relates the rise of Cicero to the pinnacle of his career as father not only of Rome, but of all politicians. As a brilliant orator, he showed himself to be cunning, greedy and corrupt. Sound familiar?
I was struck in reading this enjoyable account that nothing has changed. Human nature is what it is. Everything in this story, which took place more than 2000 years ago, is being replayed before our eyes today. A push by one psychopath and a few cronies for absolute power, the incitement of the mob into violence, wokism and cancel culture, the promise of a loaf for every citizen for every day of their lives, political intrigue at every level, etc., etc. Nothing in our human condition changes.
An engrossing read, linking us with our fellow humans of yesteryear. There’s much I learned from Harris’s work. We all know what happened to Julius Ceasar; Harris's insight makes his end understandable. So too the end of the King of France, Robespierre, D’Anton, and the rest, when finally the people had had enough.