The Roman Republic of Letters

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An intellectual history of the late Roman Republic highlights the literary senators of the mid-first century BCE, who engaged in fierce debates over Rome's future while grappling with philosophical, historical, political, linguistic, scientific, and religious issues. This era was marked by both cultural flourishing and political turmoil, with key figures such as Cicero, Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, Cato, Varro, and Nigidius Figulus playing significant roles in both scholarship and the events leading to the Republic's collapse. These senators were deeply involved in the civil war between Caesar and Pompey in the early 40s, often finding themselves on opposing sides. The author examines how the intellectual pursuits of these "senator scholars" were intertwined with their political actions, illustrating that scholarship and statesmanship informed one another. The acquisition, organization, and dissemination of knowledge were crucial to understanding what it meant to be Roman during this crisis. By connecting the vibrant "republic of letters" of first-century Rome to the struggle for the res publica, this account captures the complexity of a pivotal historical period.