”As in Athens, state accounting in Rome was haphazard, and fraud was common. In his Philippics (44-43 BCE), Cicero complained of bad accounts in his attacks on Mark Antony, known for his debts and shady financial dealings. He claimed Mark Antony had kept bad account books and, in doing so, had “squandered a countless sum of moneys” stolen from Caesar and even forged accounts and signatures. Although Cicero denounced bad books, Vice Consul Mark Antony did not go to jail. Returning to power later that year as part of a triumvirate with Lepidus and Octavius, the future Emperor Augustus, Mark Antony hunted down Cicero and had his head and hands chopped off and displayed in the Forum. This grimly illustrates a constant maxim: The powerful don’t respond well to those who call for their books to be opened.”
~Jacob Soll, The Reckoning
Thanks to Bill Bergman for pointing this one out!
The Reckoning: Financial Accountability and the Making and Breaking of Nations
