How to win an election with Quintus T. Cicero

Part XI of the Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series

[Based on How to Win an Election: An Ancient Guide for Modern Politicians, by Quintus Tullius Cicero, translated by Philip Freeman. Full book series here.]

The more things change, the more they stay the same. At least, one definitely comes to this conclusion by reading Quintus Tullius Cicero’s Commentariolum Petitionis, translated by Philip Freeman as How to Win an Election for the ongoing Princeton Press series, Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers.

Quintus was the younger brother of the more famous Marcus Tullius Cicero, who in 64 BCE was running for the highest political office in ancient Republican Rome, that of Consul. Quintus wrote a little guide to electioneering for the benefit of his brother in the form of a letter addressed to Marcus. Modern aspiring politicians would do well to read such letter, as they would learn pretty much all there is to know about campaigning for public office.

The Roman Republic was the other major democracy of the ancient world — other than Athens, that is. In a number of ways it was more sophisticated than its Athenian counterpart. The Roman Constitution had a number of checks and balances built into its system of government, so that no individual would have an easy…