Rome, Blood and Power: Reform, Murder and Popular Politics in the Late Republic 70-27 BC

by Gareth C. Sampson

Following the First Civil War the Roman Republic was able to rebuild itself and restore stability. Yet the problems which had plagued the previous seventy years of the Republic, of political reform being met with violence and bloodshed, had not been resolved and once again resumed. Men such as Catiline and Clodius took up the mantle of reform which saw Rome paralysed with domestic conflict and ultimately bloodshed and murder. In the search for stability, the Roman system produced a series of military dynasts; men such as Pompey, Crassus and Caesar, who strove to bring stability to Rome. Ultimately this led to the Republic's collapse into a second and third civil war and the end of the old Republican system. In its place was the Principate, a new Republic founded on the promise of peace and stability at home and end to the decades of bloodshed. Gareth Sampson analyses the various reforming politicians, their policies and opponents and the violence and bloodshed that resulted. He charts the Republic's collapse into further civil wars and the new system that rose from the ashes.

320 pages, Hardcover

Published September 16, 2019

Reviews

[Jennifer Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just wished that the text size was a lot bigger as it felt like I was reading it so slowly.

[Liviu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still engaging but a bit sketchier than I expected and with some mistakes - probably typos but still

[Jefferson Fortner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This history involves the collapse of the Roman Republic, from the beginning of the troubles to the final settlement and establishment of the Empire, or from the The Gracchi to Augustus (133 BC to 23 BC). The author wisely decides to place his primary focus upon the political maneuvering, especially the political murders, and to not cover the battles in depth. Frequently, when bringing the next battle into the narrative, he will say something like this: While the details of the battle fall outside the scope of this work, it is important to provide an analysis of its impact – [which is a paraphrasing of his language]. He then discusses the immediate and long-term consequences of each event. Indeed, the various battles do not even rate a listing in the index. The result is a presentation of all the various players in the politics of the time, not just the major names still familiar today. A great amount of detail is provided, and it becomes possible to see that the civil wars were not a tale of one side versus another, but of multiple layers of contestants. Ultimately, the reader gets a better picture of how dire and risky things were for everyone involved. The period that covers the rise of Octavius to his ultimate renaming to Augustus is richly layered, and it is clear how easily he could have lost his life (and changed the future).