April 17, 2006
COMMENTARY: Marius Sulla Caesar Family Ties: Dynastic Rule…No, Not Again
By Cicero
Special to Huntington News Network
 |
| Cicero
|
Take for an example the many links of G. Julius Caesar (Caesar) (100 BC – 44 BC) and the growth of the Julian clan which he initiated. Prior to Caesar his family rarely attained any significant position. About 110 BC his aunt Julia Caesaris (130 BC - 69 BC), sister of Gaius Julius Caesar III (the father of Caesar), married the political reformer, General Gaius Marius (157 BC – 86 BC), who thus became Caesar’s uncle.
Caesar used such family links even at an early age to advance himself, however, this at one point almost cost him his life. Not only was he Marius's nephew, he was also married to Cornelia, the youngest daughter of Lucius Cornelius Cinna, Marius's greatest supporter and an enemy of Roman General and Dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (138 BC–78 BC), who was usually known simply as Sulla. The young Caesar, as Cinna's son-in-law, was one of Sulla's targets for execution and at some point he had to flee Rome to run for his life. Sulla later pardoned Caesar and his family and allowed him to return to Rome, however, he foresaw in him “….many a Marius” who would destroy the Republic and the nobles.
The turning point came after the death of Caesar’s first wife Cornelia in 69 BC and when he married Pompeia Sulla in 63 BC, most likely for political reasons. Pompeia Sulla was the daughter of Quintus Pompeius Rufus and Cornelia Sulla the daughter of the Dictator Sulla, so through marriage Caesar actually became the grand-son-in-law of the dictator who had died in 78 BC.
Caesar went on using similar connections to promote his family, which eventually resulted after his assassination in his grand nephew Octavian becoming the Emperor August who brought an end to the Republic.
As history progresses, however, we find that the demise of the Roman Republic spelled no end of the power of political clans. Today, one after another, we have watched similar dramas of political families rising to power: the Roosevelts, the Tafts, the Kennedys, the Bushes, the Clintons, to name just a few. To say the very least, we should be wary of such dynastic families who manage to ensconce themselves into the political scene and spread their members through government like weeds.
As a matter of fact, this phenomenon is not limited to the world of politics; it is also common in industry, where many large public enterprises throughout the world seem to end up in dynastic rule. Generally speaking, this nepotistic tendency rarely contributes to either higher profits or better corporate governance. Quite the opposite - it often leads to the malfunction of corporations by perpetuating families in positions of power and killing innovation and ability to adapt the businesses to change.
One would think in a free society like the United States, shareholders and the populace can defeat these dynasties’ attempt to stay in power, but the reality is this is still not a perfect world. The families both political and business are basically allowed to become powerful brands that have substantial impact on mindsets and public opinions.
Think of Jeb Bush in Florida, George W. Bush in the White House, Hillary Clinton in a carpet bagger position seeking to be President, aging Senator Kennedy in a life tenure position in the Senate, and many others today in the Congress and throughout our history. Enough is enough. Indeed, we should think three times if not more before again electing members of dynasties to office.
While some tips of the family tree can really blossom, others just cling on to the tree to build up power and rarely achieve anything other than self perpetuation. In any case, we should be skeptical and alert to those political and business families who spare no effort to pass power and control to other members. Dynastic rule is by definition not what breeds freedom and prosperity but rather a form of stagnation.
Let us not vote for stagnation any more, and remember it is not just the individual but also the total milieu surrounding that person and their families that must be taken into account when we cast our votes. It goes without saying that individual merits should come first in our consideration of a candidate, but since the dynastic families often operate as a unit they must be scrutinized in that light.
* * * *
Editor’s Note: In the 1952 movie “Five Fingers,” James Mason played the valet of the British ambassador to neutral Turkey during World War II. He was a German spy who went by the code name “Cicero.” His intelligence information – including the date of D-Day – was excellent, but fortunately for the Allies, the Germans didn’t believe him, thinking him a double agent. The film was based on real events. The alternate title of the movie is “Operation Cicero.” The Roman political figure, orator and philosopher Cicero was a champion of the traditional institutions of the Roman Republic and the enemy of autocracy, including the politics of Julius Caesar and Pompey.
