Lawless Republic

A wonderful and insightful account of Cicero’s career in the courts, which at the same time is highly revealing about the breakdown of Rome’s Republican system. Highly recommended – Adrian Goldsworthy, author of ROME AND PERSIA The last bloody decades of the Roman Republic offer a veritable catalogue of crime. Josiah Osgood examines this rich material with the insight of a skilled historian and the keen scrutiny of a true crime detective. Even Cicero does not emerge unscathed. The result is a fresh look at one of history’s most compelling eras, more relevant to Americans today than ever before – Steven Saylor, author of DOMINUS Josiah Osgood draws us deep into Cicero’s methods and psyche as he rose to some of the greatest challenges a lawyer has ever faced. A razor-sharp analysis of the most fraught yet fascinating time in Rome’s history – Daisy Dunn, author of THE MISSING THREAD Lawless Republic reads like a novel, but it is written with the learning and skill of a scholar. Rarely have the life and times of Cicero been told with greater verve. Classicist and historian Josiah Osgood is at the height of his powers – Barry Strauss, author of THE WAR THAT MADE THE ROMAN EMPIRE This is a book that matters about a man who matters. A vivid, visceral and crucial read for our times – Bettany Hughes, author of THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD Osgood writes with such a sure hand, and has such a deft command of historical facts, as to make each stage of Rome’s growing disorder seem plausible, lamentable and disturbingly familiar – Wall Street Journal

Josiah Osgood is professor of classics at Georgetown University and holds a PhD from Yale University. A winner of the Rome Prize, he is the author of six books on Roman history including Uncommon Wrath: How Caesar and Cato’s Deadly Rivalry Destroyed the Roman Republic. He lives in Washington, DC.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.