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Cicero was not an Aristocrat, he was a plebeian by birth and he gained his position in Rome through persuasion. In fact there is one speech he makes that defends the rights of the plebeians to hold positions in power based on their character/achievements.
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Although not patrician, Cicero came from a wealthy family of equestrian rank. You have to remember that first and foremost, Cicero was a politician. He was multifaceted and like most politicians today, he was not above speaking out of both sides of his mouth.
Cicero had himself made dictator during his tenure as a consul. He suspended the Roman constitution and declared martial law. The Catiline conspiracy is surrounded with controversy, but the simple fact is that his execution of four or five men was unconstitutional, leading to a temporary exile.
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How can anyone disposed toward individual liberty (which I assume you are) take the side of Caeser?
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I believe that Caesar's good qualities outweighed the bad. His actions and accomplishments helped form the foundation of Western civilization. He brought order to a society and state falling apart at the seams.
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So by this logic, shouldn't one hate the empire just as much if not more?
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The Empire was an inevitability. In the last two centuries of the republic, an empire was created, thus creating the condition for the arising of emperors. I judge each emperor individually based on his merits, and there were good emperors (Augustus, Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Diocelatian, Constantine) as well as bad (Nero, Caligula, Caracalla, etc.)