Cicero Quote by Anthony Everitt
““At bottom, politics was a hullabaloo of equal and individual competitors who would only be guaranteed to cooperate for one cause: the elimination of anybody who threatened to step out of line and grab too much power for himself. It follows that there was nothing resembling today's political parties…Since the fall of the monarchy in 510 BC, Roman domestic politics had been a long, inconclusive class struggle, suspended for long periods by foreign wars. during one never-to-be-forgotten confrontation over a debt crisis in 493 BC, the entire population withdrew its labor" (14).””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Rise of Rome by Anthony Everitt, 2012
Roman politics were driven by personal power struggles, not party ideology, with cooperation only against common threats.
In simple terms: Power fights, not parties, shaped Rome.
Key Takeaway
Recognize personal motives in modern politics.
Themes
politics
power
history
conflict
cooperation
Mood
analytical
critical
historical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- election campaigns
- policy debates
- international negotiations
- leadership decisions
Key Concepts
class struggle
elite competition
political stability
Questions to Reflect On
- How do personal ambitions shape today’s political landscape?
- Can cooperation arise without a common enemy?
A Different Perspective
Modern parties have institutional structures absent in ancient Rome.
