“At Rome there were nothing even vaguely resembling modern political parties - although given the stifling impact of these, this may well have made it more rather than less democratic than many countries today - and each candidate for office competed as an individual. Only rarely did they advocate specific policies, although commenting on issues of current importance was more common. In the main voters looked more for a capable individual who once elected could do whatever the State required.”
![“For what is the life of a man, if it is not interwoven with the life of former generations by as sense of history. [Cicero, quoted by Goldsworthy in his Augustus]” quote by Adrian Goldsworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/73b/adrian-goldsworthy-37641_cicero_for-what-is-the-life-of-a-man-if-it-is-n_505161.jpg)
![“Personal hatreds and rivalry loomed larger in most senator's minds than the good of the Republic. [A big problem then and now]” quote by Adrian Goldsworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3e3/adrian-goldsworthy-37641_big-problem_personal-hatreds-and-rivalry-loomed-larg_836094.jpg)
