Late Republican (r)evolutions in Roman law

Abstract

In this article it is argued that the re-organisation of the Roman military by Marius prepared the way for the following civil wars and dictatorships rather than the inherent failures of the republican constitution. This paper sketches the socio-political context of Cicero’s life and holds that this last republican left an important theoretical body of legal work besides his court work. Cicero’s moral philosophy is reflected in his belief in natural law and his staunch partisanship for the power of good faith in Roman law.