"Another cause which kept the plebeians in as state of poverty was the unjust distribution of the public land (ager publicus) which had been acquired in war..."

William C. Morey, Outline of Roman History

The Optimates:

Represented the Elites in the run-up to, and the middle of, the Roman Civil Wars

Believe the mob wasn’t really fit to rule, wanted to rule for them

Also represented special interests who benefited personally from a lot of laws that led to unsustainable economic conditions -- such as the (not) Lex Agraria

(Lex Agraria: redistribution due to the landlessness of soldiers during the Punic Wars)

Who are the Optimates Today?

We might think they’re just the rich, or megacorporations (or sometimes, lobbyists). Those are certainly Optimates, but we forget that those with Special Interests are everywhere.

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