Peter Jones

Ancient and Modern – 24 September 2004

A classicist draws on ancient wisdom to illuminate contemporary follies

issue 25 September 2004

The sort of flak that Mr Blair’s recent autocratic performances have drawn was also directed at Julius Caesar in his final year — from Cicero in particular — and we all know what happened to Julius Caesar.

At the start of the civil war against Pompey (49 bc) which brought Caesar to power, Cicero was already saying that Caesar had put personal advantage before ‘the safety and honour of the country’.

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