Book contents
- The Roman Elite and the End of the Republic
- The Roman Elite and the End of the Republic
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I The Boni in the Late Republic
- Part II Property and Politics
- Chapter 6 Wealth and Morality Revisited
- Chapter 7 Boni
- Chapter 8 Boni and Improbi
- Chapter 9 Otium and Tranquillitas
- Chapter 10 Vita et Bona
- Chapter 11 The Road to Perdition
- Chapter 12 ‘Egentes Sumptuosi Nobiles’
- Part III The Boni and the End of the Republic
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 9 - Otium and Tranquillitas
The Politics of the Boni
from Part II - Property and Politics
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 December 2022
- The Roman Elite and the End of the Republic
- The Roman Elite and the End of the Republic
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I The Boni in the Late Republic
- Part II Property and Politics
- Chapter 6 Wealth and Morality Revisited
- Chapter 7 Boni
- Chapter 8 Boni and Improbi
- Chapter 9 Otium and Tranquillitas
- Chapter 10 Vita et Bona
- Chapter 11 The Road to Perdition
- Chapter 12 ‘Egentes Sumptuosi Nobiles’
- Part III The Boni and the End of the Republic
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
As a class the boni displayed two fundamental characteristics: their privileged position as property owners and their detachment from the world of public affairs, in which only a small sub-section took active part in their capacity of senators and office holders. Attempts at engaging the boni politically would therefore naturally focus on their social position and any threat they might be facing. The boni shared a vested interest in protecting a status quo that guaranteed their place in society; so, if any political creed can be associated with this class, it was the maintenance of stability – at almost any cost, as we shall see. Sallust made this point explicitly, noting that men were not called ‘good’ or ‘bad’ citizens on the basis of their services to the res publica; the rich were regarded as boni because they defended the ‘praesentia’ (i.e. the current conditions).1
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- Chapter
- Information
- The Roman Elite and the End of the RepublicThe <i>Boni</i>, the Nobles and Cicero, pp. 124 - 141Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022