On the Fall of the Roman Republic

Lessons for the American People

Thomas E. Strunk

• Publisher: Anthem Press
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN:
  9781839980541
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781839980565
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Roman Ancient History
• Index: History

Violence exploding in public spaces, corruption by political figures and economic elites, the will of the people thwarted in both elections and votes in the senate, military misadventures abroad, and rampant economic inequality at home diminishing a shared sense of the common good – in sum, a republic in disarray. These descriptions are not only familiar from ancient Roman political and social life but are also recognizable to any United States citizen who follows the news and American civic life. On the Republic proceeds chronologically through the fall of the Roman Republic beginning in 133 BCE and continuing down to around 14 CE, providing a continuous narrative of the fall of the Roman Republic juxtaposed with the contemporary political landscape of the United States. In 20 short chapters, On the Republic explores how the United States now faces many of the same challenges that toppled the Roman Republic - political divisions, economic inequality, and creeping authoritarianism. How we respond to these challenges today will determine the future of American democracy.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Key Dates from Roman History
• To the Reader
• Introduction: Why Rome?
• Chapter 1 Anacyclosis: no regime is exceptional and democracy is not inevitable
• Chapter 2 Mighty republics can fall because of slow corruption rather than dramatic revolutions
• Chapter 3 A revered tradition of liberty can be exploited by authoritarians
• Chapter 4 Economic inequality drives civil strife
• Chapter 5 Political violence can become normalized
• Chapter 6 strongmen do not save republics
• Chapter 7 The rights and responsibilities of citizenship need to be shared and extended
• Chapter 8 Civic virtue is as important as the constitution and laws
• Chapter 9 A reckoning with the oppressed cannot be denied
• Chapter 10 Elections only work when everyone is willing to lose
• Chapter 11 Disregard for the civil liberties of some erodes the legal rights of all citizens
• Chapter 12 Military misadventures abroad lead to instability at home
• Chapter 13 Organized, armed gangs tear apart a political system
• Chapter 14 Institutions may not be able to save the republic
• Chapter 15 A tyrant backed into a corner is a danger to the republic
• Chapter 16 The real problem is not simply a tyrannical leader
• Chapter 17 Free speech can disappear
• Chapter 18 The crisis can be manufactured to continue
• Chapter 19 The revolution can be advertised as a restoration
• Chapter 20 Freedom lost cannot so easily be regained
• Conclusion
• Notes
• Bibliographic Note
• Index