MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO ON CORRUPTION IN ROMAN SOCIETY

Abstract

In the article an attempt is made to study the speeches of Marcus Tullius Cicero at court trials and his public speeches in the senate with the aim of investigating corruption phenomena in the Roman society of the Late Republic. It is noted that Cicero considered the judicial system as the biggest problem of the Roman state and society. He identified the main abuses in the judiciary, such as: bribing judges and witnesses, delaying the consideration of cases, interference of officials in court proceedings, pressure on judges. The author of the speeches focused on the role of high-ranking officials in corrupt practices, who were often elected by bribing the voters and, while in office, paid for the services by their actions or inaction. He pointed to a whole series of financial transactions during the elections related to corruption: transfer of money to the appropriate account, storage of money, personal receipt of funds, transfer of cash to another person, intermediary activity. Highranking officials also used their opportunities for illegal enrichment through direct extortion, extortion and blackmail, fraudulent methods of obtaining property through the access to state documents, and embezzlement. The impact of corruption on the society of Ancient Rome is highlighted, which was manifested in the destruction of traditional moral standards, the devaluation of the concept of “honesty”, and deliberate inactivity of political elites. It is noted that the perception of corrupt acts by the Roman citizens and provincials depended on their personal gain. There was a patron-client system in which the parties were mutually interested in evading duties and bribing high-ranking officials to solve their own problems. The Romans negatively perceived only open extortion and demonstrative disregard of laws. The Roman society rationally evaluated practical results of the fight against abuses and did not expect bribery and extortion to end.