The title of the project is telling: in fact, 'ambire', in Latin, means ‘to go around’, ‘to solicit’; figuratively, ‘to canvass’.This project has investigated the reasons whereby ‘less famous’ magistrates in Rome (that is: people aside from the 'great protagonists' of the time) won elections between 78 and 46 BC.
Modern research has partly neglected less prominent actors in late Republican politics, affecting our understanding of it. Furthermore, debate on the state form of the Roman Republic and on its functioning, structure and politics has led to discussion about its oligarchic or democratic features, the functions and roles of magistrates and assemblies, the importance of communication and audience, the means of interaction between élite and people, the relative power of the different political bodies. The objective of this project was therefore to address the gap in modern research concerning less prominent actors in Roman late Republican politics and advance the understanding of the interaction between candidates and electors; it has explored the reasons whereby voters were impressed by the candidates and why they chose them. It also challenges the narrative of 'inevitable crisis' that often affects our interpretation of late Republican history. This project has also opened up brand new perspectives for the study and understanding of the ancient electorate and of its interaction with the candidates thanks to the help of the theories elaborated by political psychology.
More broadly, the results of this project can inform our understanding of modern electoral campaigns, as, through the use of social media, politicians now went back to a more ‘direct’ (albeit virtual) interaction with the voters, which, whilst taking into due account the profound cultural differences between the Romans and us, more closely resembles what Roman politicians were doing while canvassing. Furthermore, a deeper understanding of Roman late Republican politics can help analysing the reasons for crises in politics currently sweeping through Europe, and spotting early signs of them.
The results of this research contribute to the current debate on the politics in the decade after the death of Sulla, further supporting the interpretation that the governing élite of the period tried to tackle and solve some pressing social, economic and political issues, with the aim of avoiding further conflicts. It also offers a clearer outline of how candidates carried out consular campaigns in the post-Sullan period, and innovative perspectives on how electors chose them according to some patterns that recall those used by voters in modern states. The element of political ideology, even though on a lesser scale than in modern politics, equally appears relevant in the political struggle. Overall, results present a more refined picture of the workings of politics in the late Roman Republic, not only or necessarily tied to individual, powerful figures, but much more varied and multi-faceted.
