The Roman Elite and the End of the Republic: The Boni, the Nobles and Cicero

This book explores the boni, the wealthy but non-political section of the Roman elite, and their relationship to the political class. It reveals how concerns about property played a central part in the fall of the republic and how the shifting allegiances of the wider elite of boni viri contributed to this.

Format: Hardback
Length: 348 pages
Publication date: 22 December 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The boni, the wealthy yet largely non-political segment of the Roman elite, have hitherto received limited scholarly attention. In this comprehensive book, the boni are vividly portrayed, encompassing their identity, values, and interests, while also tracing their often strained relationship with the political class. Central to this process were concerns about property, which the book explores in depth, examining key Roman concepts such as frugality, luxury, patrimony, debt, and the vital otium that guaranteed the peaceful enjoyment of private possessions. By closely analyzing the writings of Cicero and other republican authors, a fresh narrative of the fall of the republic emerges, highlighting the pivotal role played by the shifting allegiances of the broader elite of boni viri in bringing an end to the republic and ushering in a new political system more aligned with their material interests.

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 this 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 in the events that brought an end to the republic and ushered in a new political system better attuned to their material interests.

ISBN-13: 9781009180658