1978/11/01 by Elizabeth Rawson · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Ancient history #Cicero #Classical Antiquity Studies #Classics #History #Law #Political science #Politics
paper · doi:10.2307/299632
openalex publication_date 1978/11/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
In investigating the workings of the Roman clientela system in the first century B.C., we are accustomed to finding a complex pattern. Within a province or other area, different cities or even different families inside a city may look to different Roman magnates, or even have a plethora of patrons, who can be played off against each other. For example, Sicily in Cicero's time was particularly richly provided: various branches of the patrician and plebeian Claudii, notably the Marcelli, also Pompey, Cicero himself, and others. After the Mithridatic War, as I have tried to argue, Pompey's view of his influence and responsibilities in the East clashed head-on with that of the patrician Claudii, who had long-established interests in many parts of the area. A great dynast might indeed control a city, though he would probably have some opponents in it; given inter-city and other rivalries he would find it hard to control a whole province, though his influence might be strong and widespread within it.