S8 Ep1068: The Bona Dea Scandal and the Creation of a Lifelong Foe. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Despite his careful rise to power, Cicero m

The John Batchelor Show · Jun 29, 2026 · 8m

The Bona Dea Scandal and the Creation of a Lifelong Foe. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Despite his careful rise to power, Cicero made a significant error during the aftermath of the Catiline conspiracy. He arrested five high-ranking collaborators who had remained in Rome to facilitate a coup. Cicero, feeling invincible after his recent successes, pushed for these men to be executed as traitors to the republic. He argued that by conspiring against Rome, they had forfeited their rights as citizens and should be treated as public enemies. However, executing Roman citizens without a trial was a…