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Homicide and Power in the Roman Republic

Harry Cook

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Published in Murder Was Not A Crime: Homicide And Power In The Roman Republic (Ashley And Peter Larkin In Greek And Roman Culture)

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By Ashley and Peter Larkin

In ancient Rome, murder was a serious crime. It was punishable by death, and the trials of those accused of murder were often highly publicized and politically charged.

Murder Was Not a Crime: Homicide and Power in the Roman Republic (Ashley and Peter Larkin in Greek and Roman Culture)

Murder Was Not a Crime: Homicide and Power in the Roman Republic (Ashley and Peter Larkin Series in Greek and Roman Culture)

by Judy E. Gaughan

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2625 KB
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Print length	:	215 pages
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This book tells the story of two of the most famous murder trials in Roman history: the trials of Gaius Rabirius and Lucius Vorenus.

Gaius Rabirius was a senator accused of murdering the tribune Saturninus in 100 BC. Vorenus was a military commander who killed a political rival in 63 BC.

Both trials were highly controversial, and they shed light on the political and legal system of the Roman Republic.

The Trial of Gaius Rabirius

The trial of Gaius Rabirius was a political trial from the start.

Saturninus was a popular politician who had been lynched by a mob after he attempted to seize power in 100 BC.

Rabirius was accused of being one of the leaders of the mob, and he was charged with murder.

The trial was highly politicized. The prosecution was led by Sulla, who had been a political rival of Saturninus and who used the trial to discredit his enemies.

Rabirius was ultimately acquitted, but the trial was a major turning point in Roman history.

It marked the beginning of a period of political instability and violence that would eventually lead to the fall of the Republic.

The Trial of Lucius Vorenus

The trial of Lucius Vorenus was also a political trial, but it was more complicated than the trial of Gaius Rabirius.

Vorenus was a military commander who had killed a political rival in 63 BC.

The victim was a tribune named Clodius, who had been a political enemy of Vorenus.

The trial was controversial because it raised the question of whether a citizen could be killed without a trial.

Vorenus argued that he had killed Clodius in self-defense, but the prosecution argued that Vorenus had murdered Clodius in cold blood.

The trial was ultimately a political victory for Vorenus. He was acquitted, and the verdict was seen as a victory for the aristocracy.

However, the trial also showed the growing tensions between the aristocracy and the populares, or common people.

The trials of Gaius Rabirius and Lucius Vorenus were two of the most famous murder trials in Roman history.

They shed light on the political and legal system of the Roman Republic, and they provide a glimpse into the violent and turbulent world of Roman politics.

This book is a gripping account of these two trials, and it is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Roman history.