Cornelius Nepos, ‘‘Atticus,’’ and the Roman Revolution wantedAtticustoaccompanyhimontheinvasionofItaly.ButAtticusagain
enunciatedhisstandingprincipleofneutrality:‘‘Iwouldnotwishyoutolead
meagainstthosewithwhomIwouldnotbeararmsagainstyou,leavingItaly
toavoidthis.’’Sullapraisedhissenseofduty(officium)anddeparted(,–).
Whatweseehereisastrikingreversaloftheprincipleallegedlylaiddown
bySolon:thatthecitizenhasadutytotakesidesinacivildispute.Theover-
ridingdutyhereisprivate;civilwaris,potentiallyoractually,adisturbance
ofanetworkofmutualprivateobligations.
PubliclifeandpublicofficewerenotforAtticus.WhatNepossaysinthis
connectionisperhapsworthquotinginfull(,):
Asregardspubliclifeheconductedhimselfinsuchawaythatheboth
was[infact],andhadthereputationofbeing,ofthe‘‘bestparty’’[opti-
mae partes] but he would not commit himself to the billows of civil
strife;forheconsideredthatthosewhodidsowerenomoreincontrol
oftheirowndestinythanthosewhotrustedthemselvestothebillows
ofthesea.Thispassagecontinueswithawholeseriesofnegatives.Hecouldhavesought
public office, having the necessary influence (gratia) and dignity—but did
not because office could no longer be gained or held without corruption.
He didnotpurchase any properties of condemned persons, when sold off
by the state. He didnotengage in accusation, or private litigation.When
manyconsulsandpraetorsconferredprefecturesonhim,heacceptedthese
onlyonconditionofnotgoingtotheprovinceinquestion—hewascontent
withthehonour(i.e.,themeretitle),ignoringtheprofittohisestate.Thisis
quiteanimportantpassageforthewayinwhichtheRomanstateworkedin
thelateRepublic.Foritisareflectionoftherightwhichsenatorialprovin-
cialgovernorsexercised,ofconferringthepositionofprefectbypatronage
onequestrians—andthereby,asweseewithCicero’sexperienceinCilicia,
givingthemonoccasionanactualmilitarycommand,withthepossibilityof
usingforce.^10 Thestatethusdevolvedsomeofitsfunctions,leavingthemto
beexercisedbyprivatepatronage.Thereisalsoanunmistakableimplication
inwhatNepossays,thatsuchaposition,whenoccupied,couldbeexpected
toleadtoanincreaseinpersonalwealthattheexpenseoftheprovincials.
Perhapsmoreimportant,thesemilitaryprefectures,conferredbyconsulsand
praetorsasprovincialgovernors,wereinfacttheoriginofthepublicroles
ofequestriansastheyevolvedunderAugustusandlateremperors.^11
. See,e.g.,C.Nicolet,L’ordre équestre à l’époque républicaineI(Paris,),–.
. ForthefunctionsofequitesunderAugustus,andtheirpredominantlymilitarychar-