Teaching and the Decline of Liberty at Credulity and Curiosity in A ...
Teaching and the Decline of Liberty at Credulity and Curiosity in A ...
Teaching and the Decline of Liberty at Credulity and Curiosity in A ...
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Tacitus'<br />
<strong>Teach<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Decl<strong>in</strong>e</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liberty</strong> <strong>at</strong> Rome 197<br />
We have argued th<strong>at</strong> Tacitus recognized <strong>the</strong> unavoidable necessity <strong>of</strong> such a<br />
regime under <strong>the</strong> political circumstances <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> moral degeneracy<br />
<strong>of</strong> those<br />
times. It was an <strong>in</strong>ferior regime, but <strong>the</strong> Romans were no longer fit for self-<br />
government. We have yet to see how he understood it. To do so requires th<strong>at</strong> we<br />
exam<strong>in</strong>e ra<strong>the</strong>r closely his present<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> its actual function<strong>in</strong>g. This we <strong>in</strong>tend<br />
to do, beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>the</strong> Pr<strong>in</strong>cip<strong>at</strong>e <strong>of</strong> Tiberius. It will readily be understood<br />
th<strong>at</strong> <strong>in</strong> such a government much depends upon <strong>the</strong> character <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ruler, whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />
he be a royal or a tyrannical Caesar.4<br />
This is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> key problems <strong>of</strong> such a<br />
government. This chapter will <strong>the</strong>n consist <strong>of</strong> a close exam<strong>in</strong><strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> episodes<br />
from <strong>the</strong> account <strong>of</strong> Tacitus selected to exhibit his judgment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> way <strong>the</strong> First<br />
Citizen Tiberius held power <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> strengths <strong>and</strong> weaknesses <strong>of</strong> his character.<br />
We will see <strong>the</strong> masterful behavior <strong>of</strong> Tiberius who successfully held power<br />
under <strong>the</strong>se circumstances for twenty-three years. But we are <strong>in</strong>terested, above<br />
all, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> effects <strong>of</strong> such power on <strong>the</strong> man's character. Wh<strong>at</strong> makes <strong>the</strong> study <strong>of</strong><br />
Tiberius so fasc<strong>in</strong><strong>at</strong><strong>in</strong>g is th<strong>at</strong> he is a more than ord<strong>in</strong>arily adept politician <strong>of</strong><br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r ord<strong>in</strong>ary character who somehow became master <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world (rerum<br />
potiri, 1.5.4). This is <strong>the</strong> supreme test <strong>of</strong> any man's character. With absolute<br />
power his n<strong>at</strong>ure was set free to reveal itself fully. It is almost as if he were given<br />
<strong>the</strong> "r<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>of</strong> Gyges"<br />
Glaucon mentioned when he asked Socr<strong>at</strong>es whe<strong>the</strong>r it is<br />
good for you <strong>and</strong> good for its own sake to be just. For all practical purposes, it<br />
<strong>in</strong>telligently.5<br />
would seem, Tiberius could do wh<strong>at</strong> he liked as long as he acted<br />
We are <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> see<strong>in</strong>g wh<strong>at</strong> he showed himself to be under those circum<br />
stances circumstances to which, it may be argued, most ambitious men se<br />
cretly<br />
der'<br />
aspire.6<br />
4. Cf. Leo Strauss, On Tyranny, p. 191 : "If <strong>in</strong> a given situ<strong>at</strong>ion '<strong>the</strong> republican constitutional or<br />
has completely broken down, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>re is no reasonable prospect <strong>of</strong> its restor<strong>at</strong>ion with<strong>in</strong> all <strong>the</strong><br />
foreseeable future, <strong>the</strong> establishment <strong>of</strong> permanent absolute rule cannot, as such, be justly blamed;<br />
<strong>the</strong>refore it is fundamentally different from <strong>the</strong> establishment <strong>of</strong> tyranny. Just blame could <strong>at</strong>tach only<br />
to <strong>the</strong> manner <strong>in</strong> which th<strong>at</strong> permanent absolute rule th<strong>at</strong> is truly necessary is established <strong>and</strong> exer<br />
cised; as Vogel<strong>in</strong> emphasizes, <strong>the</strong>re are tyrannical as well as royal Caesars."<br />
5. Perhaps before beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g to study Tiberius'<br />
character <strong>and</strong> his art <strong>of</strong> rule, it would be useful to<br />
underl<strong>in</strong>e wh<strong>at</strong> it meant to be First Citizen <strong>of</strong> Rome. No one has expressed this more forcefully than<br />
Seneca, educ<strong>at</strong>or <strong>and</strong> m<strong>in</strong>ister <strong>of</strong> Nero, who was <strong>in</strong> a few years to hold Tiberius'<br />
place. At <strong>the</strong> beg<strong>in</strong><br />
n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> his tre<strong>at</strong>ise De dementia, Seneca held up a mirror to his royal pupil: "Have I, <strong>of</strong> all mortals,<br />
pleased <strong>the</strong> gods <strong>and</strong> am I chosen, th<strong>at</strong> I should serve on earth <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gods? I am <strong>the</strong> arbi<br />
ter <strong>of</strong> life <strong>and</strong> de<strong>at</strong>h to <strong>the</strong> tribes; <strong>in</strong> my h<strong>and</strong> is placed wh<strong>at</strong> lot <strong>and</strong> civil st<strong>at</strong>us each man should have;<br />
wh<strong>at</strong> fortune wishes to be given to each mortal she announces through my mouth; from our response<br />
peoples <strong>and</strong> cities receive causes for gladness; no part anywhere, except with my will <strong>and</strong> favor is<br />
prosperous; <strong>the</strong>se so many thous<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> swords which my peace restra<strong>in</strong>s will be drawn <strong>at</strong> my nod;<br />
wh<strong>at</strong> n<strong>at</strong>ions are to be absolutely destroyed, which to be banished, to which liberty is to be given,<br />
from which it is to be taken, wh<strong>at</strong> k<strong>in</strong>gs are to become slaves, whose heads <strong>the</strong> splendour <strong>of</strong> k<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
should crown, wh<strong>at</strong> cities shall fall <strong>and</strong> which arise, is my utterance by<br />
right."<br />
dementia, 1.2, Moral Essays, 3 vols. Loeb Classical Library (London: He<strong>in</strong>emann, 1928).<br />
Lucius Seneca, De<br />
6. Socr<strong>at</strong>es h<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>at</strong> this grim truth <strong>in</strong> a myth near <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Republic. "He said th<strong>at</strong> when <strong>the</strong><br />
spokesman had said this <strong>the</strong> man who had drawn <strong>the</strong> first lot came forward <strong>and</strong> immedi<strong>at</strong>ely chose <strong>the</strong><br />
gre<strong>at</strong>est tyranny, <strong>and</strong>, due to folly <strong>and</strong> gluttony, chose without hav<strong>in</strong>g considered everyth<strong>in</strong>g ade<br />
qu<strong>at</strong>ely: <strong>and</strong> it escaped his notice th<strong>at</strong> e<strong>at</strong><strong>in</strong>g his own children <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r evils were f<strong>at</strong>ed to be a part <strong>of</strong><br />
th<strong>at</strong> life. When he considered it <strong>at</strong> his leisure, he be<strong>at</strong> his breast <strong>and</strong> lamented <strong>the</strong> choice, not abid<strong>in</strong>g