I spent some time yesterday reading Cicero. I know, he's just an old Roman dude. He was a pretty smart guy though, although it got him killed in the end. It has been said that his head was cut off and his right hand. Marc Anthony wasn't too happy with Cicero and his speeches and letter writing. As it turns out, over two thousand years later, people are still reading his letters. And Cicero didn't even have a blog! He was murdered for his beliefs. The main thing Cicero is remembered for is defending the Roman Republic. Toward the end of the Roman Empire when Cesar and the rest of them were destroying the Republic, he was arguing for it. Cicero was a lawyer and a politician. You see some things just never change. It wasn't so much different back then as it is today. Murder was employed more frequently as a means to usurp power but the intent was the same, just shut up the opposition.
Other historical figures that I enjoy reading were influenced by Cicero. John Locke and Thomas Jefferson are two of them. They read Cicero extensively and studied his rhetoric. I wouldn't say I was a scholar of Cicero or any of the others but by reading their thoughts have had a bit of conversation with them all. I don't agree with everything Cicero ever said, or Locke either for that matter. Jefferson was controversial in some of his ideas as well. I have come to that conclusion after reading just a fraction of what they all wrote. It is like I always say: in the context of time. You do have to take what is being said or proposed in the context of time. What is perfectly normal today may be considered an aberration tomorrow, or vice versa. It truly is dependent upon the society in which you have been raised. Then understanding that, it depends upon your understanding of your own standing in that society. Cicero went from an equestrian class to Consul, the highest level in Roman society. We would say he started out as a soldier, in the cavalry, and rose to Congressman. He was the first in his family to do so. His enemies, including Marc Anthony and Caesar, weren't too happy about that thinking his ego was inflated somewhat by his success. Personal vendettas and all of that.
It is amazing to me how much is the same. Two thousand years later and motives remain unchanged. The problems of men and society really haven't changed at all. With all our " advances " all our " technology " not much has changed at all. There are the haves and the have nots. Then there are the haves that just want more. They begin to manipulate the have nots to their cause with promises and gifts. That's pretty much what happened to the Roman empire. It grew so large as to be unmanageable. The have nots were getting restless and even the army couldn't control them. The generals wanted more power and control. Caesar began his attempts to appease the people with his " games " and entertainment. There were handouts and " free " subsidies galore. Well we all know what happened in the end. Cicero was adamant in protecting the original premise of a Republic, a government of the people, ( the populus ) in Latin which is what Cicero wrote in. And we have the same struggle going on in America today. There are those working to preserve the Republic and those that would " modify " that Republic to their advantage. think politicians, the wealthy, and the aristocrats. Like I said, not much has changed at all.
Now reading Cicero, Locke, Jefferson and others doesn't make me any smarter than anyone else. I read them to gain an understanding of what came before. No one can know what the future holds but we can study the past. Yes, history does repeat itself. An old adage but one that holds a great deal of truth. The same things have been said over and over again, just said in different ways. Today, if we can quote the thought in Latin that implies we're educated, isn't that why lawyers use it a lot? To try and confuse us ordinary people. Really they are just saying what we all have thought at one time or another. Cicero wrote in Latin. John Locke wrote in English, although his words sound different to us, his phrases and choice of words. Jefferson too, wrote in English, but the English of the 18th century is different than what we speak today. Thing is, they are all saying the same thing. And that is my point this morning. Cicero defended the Republic and a great many have followed him in that quest. The quest continues to this day. We are faced with this struggle each election cycle. There are those trying to save the Republic and those that would change it. Those that would change it must begin by silencing the opposition. Silence can be obtained by shouts! And that is what I'm seeing right now. It's far easier to get a mob to act than an individual. Cicero knew that and so have all the others that followed. Knowledge can be used for good or evil. Joining the mob absolves the individua from blame, that's the thinking. The " everyone else was doing it " mentality. It was Cicero who said, " A nation can survive its' fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. " Those in power didn't like that comment much. It wasn't the only thing Cicero said or wrote that made them mad, mad enough to have him murdered. And time goes on. Really it's the same old thing.
Other historical figures that I enjoy reading were influenced by Cicero. John Locke and Thomas Jefferson are two of them. They read Cicero extensively and studied his rhetoric. I wouldn't say I was a scholar of Cicero or any of the others but by reading their thoughts have had a bit of conversation with them all. I don't agree with everything Cicero ever said, or Locke either for that matter. Jefferson was controversial in some of his ideas as well. I have come to that conclusion after reading just a fraction of what they all wrote. It is like I always say: in the context of time. You do have to take what is being said or proposed in the context of time. What is perfectly normal today may be considered an aberration tomorrow, or vice versa. It truly is dependent upon the society in which you have been raised. Then understanding that, it depends upon your understanding of your own standing in that society. Cicero went from an equestrian class to Consul, the highest level in Roman society. We would say he started out as a soldier, in the cavalry, and rose to Congressman. He was the first in his family to do so. His enemies, including Marc Anthony and Caesar, weren't too happy about that thinking his ego was inflated somewhat by his success. Personal vendettas and all of that.
It is amazing to me how much is the same. Two thousand years later and motives remain unchanged. The problems of men and society really haven't changed at all. With all our " advances " all our " technology " not much has changed at all. There are the haves and the have nots. Then there are the haves that just want more. They begin to manipulate the have nots to their cause with promises and gifts. That's pretty much what happened to the Roman empire. It grew so large as to be unmanageable. The have nots were getting restless and even the army couldn't control them. The generals wanted more power and control. Caesar began his attempts to appease the people with his " games " and entertainment. There were handouts and " free " subsidies galore. Well we all know what happened in the end. Cicero was adamant in protecting the original premise of a Republic, a government of the people, ( the populus ) in Latin which is what Cicero wrote in. And we have the same struggle going on in America today. There are those working to preserve the Republic and those that would " modify " that Republic to their advantage. think politicians, the wealthy, and the aristocrats. Like I said, not much has changed at all.
Now reading Cicero, Locke, Jefferson and others doesn't make me any smarter than anyone else. I read them to gain an understanding of what came before. No one can know what the future holds but we can study the past. Yes, history does repeat itself. An old adage but one that holds a great deal of truth. The same things have been said over and over again, just said in different ways. Today, if we can quote the thought in Latin that implies we're educated, isn't that why lawyers use it a lot? To try and confuse us ordinary people. Really they are just saying what we all have thought at one time or another. Cicero wrote in Latin. John Locke wrote in English, although his words sound different to us, his phrases and choice of words. Jefferson too, wrote in English, but the English of the 18th century is different than what we speak today. Thing is, they are all saying the same thing. And that is my point this morning. Cicero defended the Republic and a great many have followed him in that quest. The quest continues to this day. We are faced with this struggle each election cycle. There are those trying to save the Republic and those that would change it. Those that would change it must begin by silencing the opposition. Silence can be obtained by shouts! And that is what I'm seeing right now. It's far easier to get a mob to act than an individual. Cicero knew that and so have all the others that followed. Knowledge can be used for good or evil. Joining the mob absolves the individua from blame, that's the thinking. The " everyone else was doing it " mentality. It was Cicero who said, " A nation can survive its' fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. " Those in power didn't like that comment much. It wasn't the only thing Cicero said or wrote that made them mad, mad enough to have him murdered. And time goes on. Really it's the same old thing.
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