A SENATUS CONSULTUM ULTIMUM MINT SZÜKSÉGHELYZETI FELHATALMAZÁS CICERO BESZÉDEIBEN
THE SENATUS CONSULTUM ULTIMUM AS A TOOL OF STATE OF EMERGENCY IN CICERO’S SPEECHES

Author(s): Tamás Nótári
Subject(s): Roman law
Published by: Scientia Kiadó
Keywords: Senatus Consultum Ultimum; Cicero; Late Republican Rome; ius publicum;
Summary/Abstract: In Cicero’s oeuvre, there are two orations (both from the year 63 BC) when he mentions and analyses the importance of the senatus consultum ultimum. These loci can be found in his oratio Pro Rabirio perduellionis (the speech of defence on behalf of Rabirius accused with perduellio, i.e. having killed the plebeian tribune Saturninus) and his consular orations In Catilinam held against the Catilinarian conjuration. With the senatus consultum ultimum, the senate gave a declaration of a special state of emergency and empowered the magistrate to act without any respect to usual legal boundaries and restrictions only in the interest of the state. In order to throw light on the importance of the senatus consultum ultimum, in this paper, the role of the magistrates and the senate in the Late Republican Rome will be analysed first, the differences between the power of the dictator and the role of the senatus consultum ultumum will be compared, and, finally, the significance of the senatus consultum ultimum in the Roman ius publicum will be explored.

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