Pompey, Cato, and the Governance of the Roman Empire

Provincial governance under the Roman republic has long been notorious for its corruption and greed, but this picture overlooks a significant struggle for reform. In the late republic, leading citizens concerned about the problems of their empire took steps to address them, culminating, in 52-50 BC, in a coordinated programme of legislative and ethical reform. This volume focuses particularly on the contributions of Pompey and Cato, most familiar as political combatants but united in their interest in good governance, demonstrating that it was their eventual collaboration, in the late 50s BC, that produced the republic’s most significant programme of provincial reform.