Chapter 14 - The Power of the Nobiles

Summary

Judging from contemporary public discourse, the nobles of the late republic were routinely denigrated and associated with incompetence, entitlement and other aristocratic vices. Now, resentment towards unpopular rulers is of course nothing new and historically quite unremarkable, but what makes the resentment expressed towards the nobles so paradoxical is the crucial part played by the wider elite in maintaining them in their position. The power of the nobles rested on annual elections in which the combined votes of equites and boni often decided the outcome; certainly, without strong support from these groups no political career would ever get off the ground. To explain the curious disjuncture between the views and the actions of the boni, we may consider the position of the nobiles more broadly. Who were the nobles? How many were there – if they can be counted at all? What kind of power did they wield? And finally, how did they retain their position in the face of such apparent dissatisfaction with their rule? The answers may help us understand better not just the politics of the boni but also the nature of the ‘noble republic’ and the culture that sustained it.