Una misura eccezionale dei Romani, Il senatus-consultum ultimum : (studio di storia e di diritto pubblico romano)

This volume offers a clear‑sighted exploration of Rome’s most extraordinary emergency decree, the senatus‑consultum ultimum. The author begins by cataloguing the numerous occasions when the Senate invoked the measure, guiding listeners through the turbulent fifth and fourth centuries BC and the later crises of the Republic. By weaving together political anecdotes, legal texts, and contemporary commentary, the book reveals how the decree functioned as a tool for preserving order while exposing the underlying tensions between elite factions.

The second part moves beyond the narrative to examine the legal framework that made the decree possible, its procedural nuances, and the debates that surrounded its constitutionality. Readers hear a balanced discussion of the optimates’ defenses and the populares’ accusations, as well as the long‑term evolution of senatorial power that eventually rendered the emergency provision obsolete. Throughout, the study maintains a scholarly yet accessible tone, making a complex chapter of Roman history understandable and thought‑provoking for anyone interested in the roots of emergency powers.