Leslie Pratch on Business, Culture, and the Economy

By Leslie Pratch

I came across the following lovely passage when I was rereading Ronald Syme’s classic work, THE ROMAN REVOLUTION. (It is dense, assumes one knows a great deal of background, and can deal with nomen, praenomen, and cognomen. Among other things. He–quite properly–refers to Octavian as Octavianus. And he does not have great fondness for Octavian/Augustus.)

In Rome of the Republic, not constrained by any law of libel, the literature of politics was seldom dreary, hypocritical or edifying. Persons, not programmes, came before the People for their judgement and approbation. The candidate seldom made promises. Instead, he claimed office as a reward, boasting loudly of ancestors or, failing that prerogative, of his own merits. Again, the law-courts were an avenue for political advancement ( vide Cicero! JOW) through prosecution, a battleground for private enmities and political feuds, a theatre for oratory. The best of arguments was personal abuse.

Thank Heaven we have risen above such practices and debate only policy and morality in a rational and fair fashion.

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Leslie Pratch, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist from Northwestern University with an M.B.A. in Strategy and Finance and a B.A. in Religion from Williams College. She works with boards of directors and private equity investors to select and develop executives. She can be reached at (312) 464-7919 or email her at leslie@pratchco.com or visit www.pratchco.com. This entry was taken from lesliepratch.us.