In his Pro Sestio (77), Cicero briefly presents the way violence burst and spread during the roman republic assemblies. It sprang from conflicts between magistrates, then spread over the mob of citizens with screams and expressions of opinion. When tension grew up, the audience divided into hostile parts, which confronted each other and possibly fought. A study of well known situations of violence during the assemblies, as well in real situations as in annalists’ reconstructions, confirms this sequence of acts constitued a true paradigm of collective behaviour, which derived logically from the respect for institutions.

Keywords : Violence, Rules, Institutions, Roman Republic.

The Roman knight Laberius was forced by Caesar to perform one of his own plays on stage in a theatrical competition against the Syrian freedman Publilius, thus losing his equestrian rank. Did the famous contest take actually place in 46 BC, as most scholars think? The collation of ancient sources such as Cassius Dio leads to argue that Laberius probably acted his mime in 45 BC, on the occasion of the dictator’s triumph over the sons of Pompeius, short after the decree that opened the doors of the Senate to nine hundred members.

Keywords: Laberius, Chronology, Mime, Senate.

This paper is written in support of A. Pettinger’s view of the conspiracy of Libo Drusus, in AD 16, as a serious attempt on Tiberius against a background of general discontent. It deviates only on subordinate issues (the use of the procedure on maiestas minuta against Libo; the status of Agrippa Postumus after abdicatio) and more importantly on the idea that Libo’s activities were a factor in any “hesitation” of Tiberius in AD 14.

Keywords: Conspiracy, Libo, Tiberius, AD 14-16.

This paper aims at analyzing the phenomenon of interregnum in ancient Rome during its historical development, as evidenced from the age of the monarchy until the last century of the republic. This article attempts to shed light on the assumptions and purposes of interregnum and highlights the nature and prerogatives of roman interrex, through the study of historical and epigraphic sources that testify its existence. Part of the article is devoted to the comparison between interregnum and dictatorship comitiorum habendorum causa, whose different requirements are highlighted for their establishment.

Keywords: interregnum, Dictatorship comitiorum habendorum  causa, Monarchy and Republic, Patricians and Plebeians

The re-evaluation of Domitian’s Principate is by now generally accepted. For this reason most of the scholars has been induced to interpret the political, administrative and military behaviour of his successors in continuity with the last Flavian. Such formulation has had the worth to see in a different perspective the thesis of a clean break between the “Golden Age” of the Adoptivekaiser and the Flavian despotism. Nevertheless, this statement has perhaps exceeded in opposite sense, underestimating the political costs of this process and a necessary phase of marginalization of some eminent personalities, more or less openly involved with the past regime. This paper aims to stress correctly this aspect. Through the analysis of the case of Fabricius Veiento, it tries to suggest a political interpretation of the anti-domitianic propaganda, and identifies the nucleus of it during the Principate of Nerva.

Keywords: Domitian, Opposition, Veiento, Continuity, Nerva.

In Livy 39, 5, 4 (= 187 BC) hidden probably a historiographic fragment of the speech of tribunus plebis Tiberius Gracchus on the deposition of Gaius Octavius in 133 BC, known by the Lifes of Plutarch. Is probably allow us to find in the orations of tribunus the origin of catchwords of popularis ideology of Ist century BC as libertas.

Keywords: Tiberius Gracchus, tribunatus plebis, Oratory, libertas.

This article concerns a short essay of Friedrich Nietzsche entitled Homer’s Wettkampf (Homer’s Contest). This famous essay, originally a preface of a book never written, stresses the agonal element as a basic aspect of Greek society, culture and politics. The article examines some ancient sources regarding this theme (first of all Hesiod and the beginning of his Works and Days, which is quoted by Nietzsche). Not all these sources are considered and mentioned by Nietzsche in his essay but they are useful for the study of Greek mentality (for example Aristotle, Cornelius Nepos and Plutarch). Finally, a part of the article touches on the reasons of Athenian ostracism.

Keywords: Competition, Envy, Hellenic world, Nietzsche.

This essay concern Ciceron’s reflection about the role of the politician towards the crisis of the res publica: he’ll have to find solutions by reading the signs of the times e he must be ready to change direction and opinions when necessary. The commutationes that occur in the State will be governed by politicians and managed as an opportunity to overcome the crisis. The forma rei publicae can not be just one: when res publica is in danger should also think of some other forma rei publicae, the important thing is to save the consistency of res publica: vinculum iuris.

Keywords: Politician, Crisis, Cicero, commutatio rei publicae.