Basic Books; 352 pages; $32. To be published in Britain in March; £25.a trick. His version of Julius Caesar’s funeral does, admittedly, have its moments. But he might have done even better had he read his Appian. For while the Bard’s version musters oratorical verve, the historian’s offers a coup de théâtre, complete with the astute use of props, sightlines and stagecraft.
Caesar’s reign—and its bloody end and bloodier aftermath—would later come to be seen as a turning point in the history of Rome. And indeed it was, but as Edward Watts points out in “Mortal Republic”, the Republic had been in its death throes for decades. The decline was caused less by gaping wounds than gaping inequality, and by leaders unable or unwilling to remedy it. If that syndrome sounds familiar, it is meant to.
This ominously titled book is his response, furnished with such nudgingly apposite chapters as “The Politics of Frustration” and “The Republic of the Mediocre”. His gambit isn’t new: the classical world is often used as a lens through which to examine modernity. Want to understand China? Read Thucydides. Need to know about Afghanistan? Best study Plutarch. This trick can easily go awry: the past was not just the present in togas, as some historians would do well to remember.
He begins by taking the reader on a brisk march through Roman history. The Republic’s early citizens were legendarily hardy. In the late third century, faced with multiple threats, Rome entered a state Mr Watts describes as “an ancient version of total war”. Two-thirds of the male citizen population between 17 and 30 years old were enrolled in the army, ready to die for Rome. And die they did, cut down in battle after battle like fields of wheat.
Yet while some Romans swilled from ornate goblets, the majority drank a more bitter draught. They endured a life of backbreaking work and the knowledge that they would almost certainly end up poorer than their parents. Such a situation could hardly last—and didn’t., to be replaced by autocracy.
When I was in Rome I saw the Spanish Steps. Probably the most disappointing tribute act ever....
Many parallels between the Roman empire just before it fell and the US today
Inequality of opportunity NOT of outcome (equity)
EvanLSolomon In the 20th century, Fascism was a popular remedy. cdnpoli
EvanLSolomon Rome’s ascent around 500 B.C. was a result of settling the strains of inequality between the Plebians and the Patricians....there is Hope. cdnpoli
‘ inequality like family law in the Uk ? Inequality and discrimination against fathers ! Alienated fathers !
The Roman Empire was also fatally weakened by a totalitarian mind virus called Christianity. It collapsed within 100 years of making this the official religion of the Empire and outlawing paganism which had allowed the great ancient Greek and Roman civilizations to flourish.
The more times you post this article does not change the fact it's progressive propaganda cloaked as historical analysis.
TarekFatah Only doctrine preaching equality is communism.Half of Europe tried that for 50yrs,it doesn't work & is destructive
EvanLSolomon This is so palpably incorrect, so historically factually false. But given barely disguised code, readers who know well its tiresome anti POTUS agenda should not be the least bit surprised with this deceitful journalism.
And here I thought The Economist was a reliable news source. Ignorant posts like this say otherwise...
That's really stupid... A simple wikipedia search will reveal that the author and are bullshiting.
Fall of the Roman Republic or the Roman Empire?
Rome's fall was caused by empire-building and the inevitable corruption that seeks out all centralized power. Staring a new series - TheEconomistFails
You have possible one of the greatest con-men of all time as president. The country has a low life expectancy, 3rd world infrastructure, expensive healthcare, massive income inequality and Trump has half the population thinking he’s created an utopia!
And mass Arab unregulated immigration. Read DouglasKMurray Death Of Europe!
I read a little confusion between the fall of republic (31 BC) and the fall of the empire (476 AC). If you mean the first one, I don't think it was a decline, the scale of power of Rome was growing and thus the empire became a natural passage! A lesson for our technological era!
Our current government could benefit from the hard lessons learnt by great leaders in our past ScottMorrison
Uhhhhh no. It was ended because of mass migration & incompatible cultures. When you start to get large divided populations at high numbers in one place, they tribe up & only fight for their interests.
Rome's collapse was one of the best things that happened to Western civilization.
Inequality is the mark of a just society. We’re all unequal. Some of us are smarter, faster, more attractive—better at learning, sports, investing, work, painting...you name it, some are better. That’s completely just. Efforts to level inequalities is the mark of *evil.*
Hmmmm sounds vaguely familiar
And immigration 😎
Haha, such bullshit
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