Adam Mickiewicz o senacie i zgromadzeniach ludowych w starożytnym Rzymie
Adam Mickiewicz on the Senate and Popular Assemblies in Ancient Rome

Summary/Abstract: Adam Mickiewicz is considered to be the most outstanding Polish Romantic poet, as well as one of the most excellent poets of Europe. Due to their timeless value, his works become a source of inspiration for generations of readers. Interestingly, in Mickiewicz’s works we can find numerous references to legal issues, including those concerning the composition, functioning, and significance of the senate and popular assemblies in ancient Rome. An analysis of individual parts of the poet’s works allows us to conclude that he was quite familiar with the issues related to the social history and political organization of ancient Rome. His knowledge of the subject primarily comes from the works of ancient writers (Cicero, Livy, Tacitus, Plutarch, Suetonius, Aulus Gellius, and Cassius Dio), with which he became acquainted during his studies at the Vilnius University. Mickiewicz also read publications dealing extensively with the history of ancient Rome by such authors as Edward Gibbon, Barthold Georg Niebuhr, and Jules Michelet. It should be emphasized that the poet used expert Latin legal terminology when addressing various issues concerning the Roman senate and popular assemblies. The references to Roman law present in Mickiewicz’s works are yet another testimony to the fact that it is an important component of Europe’s cultural heritage. Having at least elementary knowledge in this area should therefore be desirable for the largest possible group of people, which needs not be limited only to lawyers. Poland’s greatest poet is a good example of this.

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