Politics in the Novel Imperium by Robert Harris

His hometown of Arpinum was not exactly among the top cities of Rome. Cicero unlike most great writers and politicians of his time, had to work hard and use the wealth and power of others to find his place in Roman aristocracy. Cicero finally reached the pentacle of his political career when he concurred Catiline in a battle for the position of consul. After Cicero had won the position of consul in 64 B.C. Catiline organized a plot to overthrow the government.

The Gracchus brother’s historical significance was they were politicians that were for the people and after their death’s it lead to other leader’s using the same tactic. Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.E.) was a general born of a noble family. This ambitious leader used the military to gain power and was victorious over Spain, Gaul and France. Once he became dictator he immediately worked on his reform by sending thousands of lower income people to the places he defeated due to over population.

He manipulated the senate to make out that Caesar was dangerous. Pompey became the most powerful man in Rome. During the time of his political prominence, the senate was very weak. Because of Pompeys popularity with the public and his military ability, along with his opportunism, he rose to this political prominence by his political machinations. The Civil War between Gnaeus Marius and Lucius Sulla was a major factor that effected his political situation.

The field of politics attracts some of the greatest minds to ever walk this Earth, and brings these rather wise figures many privileges, but a clean pair of hands is seldom among these luxuries. This tale of private advantage in the public sector begins with the prosecution of Gaius Verres by Marcus Cicero in the extortion courts of Rome during Cicero’s early political days. Gaius Verres was the quaestorian governor of the Sicilian province when his greed finally began to surface when Sthenius of Thermae came to Cicero’s home telling the horrors of what this ruthless governor had been up to. Sthenius claimed that Verres had been swindling Sicilian’s out of their most cherished objects such as bronze statues and anything made of precious metals. This crooked governor was giving out his newly ... ... middle of paper ... ...is military accomplishments, but Crassus and his successes buried the great Pompey in a sea of jealousy.

The next example was in the Washington post it says “Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon all considered sacking him, Hoover. Even in the 1960s, he had a strong public image as an honest, competent law enforcement technocrat.” (Ackerman Washington post). He was such a powerful public figure and the public were amazed over the FBI that if a president fired him it would be more devastating for the presidents than it would for Hoover. Presidents such as Kennedy and Nixon knew that Hoover would have something on them and if he were let go than whatever he had on them would not only become public but the headline. “In 1936 Roosevelt instructed Hoover to keep him informed on fascist and Communist activities in the U.S. Hoover took the opportunity to increase his d... ... middle of paper ... ...ing organized crime and foreign threats posed during wartime and other foreign spy agencies.

Constant outlay was important in public life: a politician had to spend freely on his clients, on his household, on slaves (particularly gladiators, for personal protection) and on investment. The expenses for elections were also astronomical. Candidates had to provide themselves with a magnificent retinue and had to provide spectacles and gifts for the populace: chariot races, theatrical shows, wild beast hunts and particularly gladiators. Direct bribery was also common, and represented a massive outlay - in the late 60s, Caesar had accumulated debts of several thousand talents due to his aedileship, his praetorian campaign, and his pontifical campaign. In cases of prosecution, wealth was also necessary to bribe jurors, and all this wealth had to come from somewhere -normally the hapless provincials.

The Senate was afraid and jealous of his power and they were worried he might plan to make himself king of Rome. Needless to say, the Senate wanted to save the republic and so they went against him. Julius Caesar became corrupt because he was too powerful, the Senate was jealous, and his actions posed a threat. Julius Caesar was a brilliant politician and a military genius that was brighter and more capable than the overwhelming majority of other Senators. His nature was kind, generous and inclined to forget grudges and turn enemies into friends, but he was also willing to be utterly ruthless.

This shows Jackson had the power to manipulate people. In just a few years of law Jackson, now eighteen met his soon to be wife, Rachel Robards. There was a small problem though…Rachel was married. But Jackson being the terrifying man that he was, played with a huge knife during the divorce trial; this p... ... middle of paper ... ...er as president by exceeding his limits and allowing his personal happiness and emotions influence his decisions that may have affected him positively but affected the rest of the United States in a negative way; which was unbelievably selfish. He left the nation with confusion and failures instead of contributing to it, achievements.

In "War", Alexander Hamilton is shown making his first few strides in the new country by working under George Washington in the Revolutionary war. In "Laws", he argues his first few cases as a lawyer and rewrites the nation's law structure. "Treasury Secretary" narrates Hamilton's first few years on the job during his most creative time; this is the period in which he shaped the country's economic structure most and created the most innovative ideas. In "Fighting", Hamilton's conflicting ideas with other politicians is shown. "Losing" describes his mistakes and accusations of other politicians including a sex scandal and money embezzlement.

Including winning a brutal civil war between him and his once ally, Pompey. As a result, he was thrust into the position of king in Rome in all but title as Rome was still a Republic and only had temporary dictators in time of crisis (Ushistory.org). The senators and other politicians feared for their political careers and the livelihood of the Republic because Caesar was adored by the Roman public so much that they would have made him king. Additionally, the Senators had allied themselves with Pompey to ward off Julius in the civil war. However, they didn’t surrender to