Historically Thinking Episode 393: Lawless Republic
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Jan 27, 2025 Josiah Osgood, a classics professor at Georgetown University and author of 'Lawless Republic,' dives into the world of Marcus Tullius Cicero, exploring his rise from a lawyer to a pivotal political figure. The discussion highlights Cicero's legal prowess and the dramatic cases that shaped his career, like the notorious Sextus Roscius trial. Osgood also sheds light on the Roman judicial system's public spectacle and the challenges Cicero faced during the Catiline conspiracy, revealing how such events influenced both law and society in ancient Rome.
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Roman Law and Trials
- Roman law differed significantly from modern legal systems, lacking police investigations and official prosecutors.
- Individuals brought cases themselves, emphasizing rhetoric and public speaking skills in Roman education.
Trials as Theater
- Roman trials were theatrical spectacles held in the Forum, involving emotional appeals and audience participation.
- Evidence presentation followed long speeches, with looser rules of admissibility than modern courts.
The Roscius Patricide Case
- Sextus Roscius was accused of murdering his father, a crime viewed with horror in Roman culture.
- Cicero, in his first big case, defended Roscius by alleging a conspiracy involving the father's relatives and Sulla's freedman.
