The former premier of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, has sent President Trump a present, a bust of the Roman Senator Lucius Sirgius Catiline.
The resemblance to Mr. Trump is striking.
The year 63 BCE saw Rome as a city of almost one million residents, governing an empire that ranged from Hispania in the west to Syria in Middle East and from Gaul in the north to the deserts of Africa.
Difficulties developed on the home front. Within a few short years, the “dictator for life” Julius Caesar would be assassinated, and, as a result, the government would descend into chaos. The consequence of a long civil war would bring the birth of an empire under the watchful eye of an emperor; however, it would also witness the loss of many personal liberties
The crisis of 63 BCE arose because imperial Rome was better at war than at trade. A significant decrease in trade and the resulting loss of tax revenue resulted in an increase in debt among many of the more affluent Romans. Unemployment in the city was high. The Roman Senate stood silent, unable or unwilling to come to a solution. The people longed for a hero; there was serious unrest that threatened not only the lives of the people who lived within the walls of Rome but also the city itself.
At the center of this turmoil was Lucius Sirgius Catiline, a nearly bankrupt aristocrat. Catiline’s great-grandfather had fought against Hannibal in the Second Punic War. Cataline’s opponent, Marcus Tullius Cicero was the ultimate insider, a famed orator known more for his skills as an orator than for real achievements. The two men came to blows during the election for the consulship in 64 BCE. Catiline used his own money as well as the money of others in the election, promising greater money for all .. ordinary citizens but especially the very wealthy.
Unfortunately, unlike Mr. Trump, Lucius Sirgius Catiline lost to the “outsider” Cicero. Cicero used his superior oratory skills to put Catiline’s character into question. Catiline even had the support of Julius Caesar, although Caesar would later rescind it.