Mortal Republic : How Rome Fell Into Tyranny

A new history of the Roman Republic and its collapse In Mortal Republic, prize-winning historian Edward J. Watts offers a new history of the fall of the Roman Republic that explains why Rome exchanged freedom for autocracy. For centuries, even as Rome grew into the Mediterranean's premier military and political power, its governing institutions, parliamentary rules, and political customs successfully fostered negotiation and compromise. By the 130s BC, however, Rome's leaders increasingly used these same tools to cynically pursue individual gain and obstruct their opponents. As the center decayed and dysfunction grew, arguments between politicians gave way to political violence in the streets. The stage was set for destructive civil wars--and ultimately the imperial reign of Augustus.The death of Rome's Republic was not inevitable. In Mortal Republic, Watts shows it died because it was allowed to, from thousands of small wounds inflicted by Romans who assumed that it would last forever."Readers will find many parallels to today's fraught political environment: the powerful influence of money in politics, a 'delegitimized establishment,' and 'the emergence of a personality-driven, populist politicking.' Watts ably and accessibly...covers a lot of ground in a manner accessible to all readers, including those with little knowledge of Roman history. This well-crafted analysis makes clear the subject matter's relevance to contemporary political conversations."―\*\*Publishers Weekly\*\*\*\* "In a timely book of ancient history, an eminent classicist looks at Rome's decline from representative government to corrupt empire.... Given that mistrust of institutions is a key ingredient in the collapse of republican rule, as we are witnessing daily, the lesson is pointed. An engaging, accessible history that, read between the lines, offers commentary on today's events as well as those of two millennia past."―\*\*Kirkus\*\*\*\* "Lucid, fast-paced, and well informed. Edward Watts's history of the failure of the Roman Republic is the tale of how greed and self-interest undermined the ancient world's most successful democratic superpower and caused Rome's people to vote in a dictatorship. Beginning with Rome's confrontations with Pyrrhus and Carthage, and a relatively simple state based on reasonable equity, Watts takes us into a world of the super-rich who undermined the very system that gave them their wealth, driving it downwards into civil war and mass murder. The elective tyranny of Augustus proved to be the only answer. This is both a splendid introduction to one of the most dramatic periods of history and a book for our times."―David Potter, \*author of \*Constantine the Emperor\*\*\*\* "Mortal Republic retells the familiar story of how one of history's most famous and long-lived republics became a monarchy. Edward Watts is an expert and eloquent guide through the political drama of the late republic, and his book offers a timely reminder that constitutions are fragile and that the politics of consensus can be replaced by the politics of violence one small selfish act at a time."―Kyle Harper, \*author of \*The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire\*\*\*\*About the AuthorEdward J. Watts holds the Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Endowed Chair and is professor of history at the University of California, San Diego. The author and editor of several prize-winning books, including The Final Pagan Generation, he lives in Carlsbad, California.\*\*\*\* In 22 Bc, Amid A Series Of Natural Disasters And Political And Economic Crises, A Mob Locked Rome's Senators Into The Senate House And Threatened To Burn Them Alive If They Did Not Make Augustus Dictator. Why Did Rome--to This Day One Of The World's Longest-lived Republics--exchange Freedom For Autocracy? Mortal Republic Is A New History Of The Fall Of The Roman Republic That Explains Why Rome Made This Trade. Prizewinning Historian Edward J. Watts Shows How, For Centuries, Rome's Governing Institutions, Parliamentary Rules, And Political Customs Succeeded In Fostering Compromise And Negotiation. Even Amid Moments Of Crisis Like Hannibal's Invasion Of Italy In The 210s Bc, Rome's Republic Proved Remarkably Resilient, And It Continued To Function Well As Rome Grow Into The Premier Military And Political Power In The Mediterranean World. By The 130s Bc, However, The Old Ways Of Government Had Grown Inadequate In Managing A Massive Standing Army, Regulating Trade Across The Mediterranean, And Deciding What To Do With Enormous New Revenues Of Money, Land, And Slaves. In Subsequent Decades, Politicians Increasingly Misused Rome's Consensus-building Tools To Pursue Individual Political And Personal Gain, And To Obstruct Urgently Needed Efforts To Address Growing Social And Economic Inequality. Individuals--and Marius, Caesar And Cato, Augustus And Pompey--made Selfish Decisions That Benefited Them Personally But Irreparably Damaged The Health Of The State. As The Political Center Decayed, Political Fights Evolved From Arguments Between Politicians In Representative Assembles To Violent Confrontations Between Ordinary People In The Street, Setting The Stage For The Destructive Civil Wars Of The First Century Bc--and Ultimately For The Republic's End-- Autocratic Freedom -- The New World Order -- Empire And Inequality -- The Politics Of Frustration -- The Rise Of The Outsider -- The Republic Breaks -- Rebuilding Amidst The Wreckage -- The Republic Of The Mediocre -- Stumbling Towards Dictatorship -- The Birth And Death Of Caesar's Republic -- The Republic Of Octavian -- Choosing Augustan Liberty. Edward J. Watts. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "In 22 BC, amid a series of natural disasters and political and economic crises, a mob locked Rome's senators into the Senate House and threatened to burn them alive if they did not make Augustus dictator. Why did Rome--to this day one of the world's longest-lived republics--exchange freedom for autocracy? Mortal Republic is a new history of the fall of the Roman Republic that explains why Rome made this trade. Prizewinning historian Edward J. Watts shows how, for centuries, Rome's governing institutions, parliamentary rules, and political customs succeeded in fostering compromise and negotiation. Even amid moments of crisis like Hannibal's invasion of Italy in the 210s BC, Rome's Republic proved remarkably resilient, and it continued to function well as Rome grew into the premier military and political power in the Mediterranean world. By the 130s BC, however, the old ways of government had grown inadequate in managing a massive standing army, regulating trade across the Mediterranean, and deciding what to do with enormous new revenues of money, land, and slaves. In subsequent decades, politicians increasingly misused Rome's consensus-building tools to pursue individual political and personal gain, and to obstruct urgently needed efforts to address growing social and economic inequality. Individuals--and Marius, Caesar and Cato, Augustus and Pompey--made selfish decisions that benefited them personally but irreparably damaged the health of the state. As the political center decayed, political fights evolved from arguments between politicians in representative assembles to violent confrontations between ordinary people in the street, setting the stage for the destructive civil wars of the first century BC--and ultimately for the Republic's end"-- Provided by publisher "In 22 BC, amid a series of natural disasters and political and economic crises, a mob locked Rome's senators into the Senate House and threatened to burn them alive if they did not make Augustus dictator. Why did Rome--to this day one of the world's longest-lived republics--exchange freedom for autocracy? Mortal Republic is a new history of the fall of the Roman Republic that explains why Rome made this trade. Prizewinning historian Edward J. Watts shows how, for centuries, Rome's governing institutions, parliamentary rules, and political customs succeeded in fostering compromise and negotiation. Even amid moments of crisis like Hannibal's invasion of Italy in the 210s BC, Rome's Republic proved remarkably resilient, and it continued to function well as Rome grow into the premier military and political power in the Mediterranean world. By the 130s BC, however, the old ways of government had grown inadequate in managing a massive standing army, regulating trade across the Mediterranean, and deciding what to do with enormous new revenues of money, land, and slaves. In subsequent decades, politicians increasingly misused Rome's consensus-building tools to pursue individual political and personal gain, and to obstruct urgently needed efforts to address growing social and economic inequality. Individuals--and Marius, Caesar and Cato, Augustus and Pompey--made selfish decisions that benefited them personally but irreparably damaged the health of the state. As the political center decayed, political fights evolved from arguments between politicians in representative assembles to violent confrontations between ordinary people in the street, setting the stage for the destructive civil wars of the first century BC--and ultimately for the Republic's end"-- Provided by publisher Learn why the Roman Republic collapsed — and how it could have continued to thrive — with this insightful history from an award-winning author. In Mortal Republic , prize-winning historian Edward J. Watts offers a new history of the fall of the Roman Republic that explains why Rome exchanged freedom for autocracy. For centuries, even as Rome grew into the Mediterranean's premier military and political power, its governing institutions, parliamentary rules, and political customs successfully fostered negotiation and compromise. By the 130s BC, however, Rome's leaders increasingly used these same tools to cynically pursue individual gain and obstruct their opponents. As the center decayed and dysfunction grew, arguments between politicians gave way to political violence in the streets. The stage was set for destructive civil wars — and ultimately the imperial reign of Augustus. The death of Rome's Republic was not inevitable. In Mortal Republic , Watts shows it died because it was allowed to, from thousands of small wounds inflicted by Romans who assumed that it would last forever. A new history of the Roman Republic and its collapse In Mortal Republic , prizewinning historian Edward J. Watts offers a new history of the fall of the Roman Republic that explains why Rome exchanged freedom for autocracy. For centuries, even as Rome grew into the Mediterranean's premier military and political power, its governing institutions, parliamentary rules, and political customs successfully fostered negotiation and compromise. By the 130s BC, however, Rome's leaders increasingly used these same tools to cynically pursue individual gain and obstruct their opponents. As the center decayed and dysfunction grew, arguments between politicians gave way to political violence in the streets. The stage was set for destructive civil wars--and ultimately the imperial reign of Augustus. The death of Rome's Republic was not inevitable. In Mortal Republic , Watts shows it died because it was allowed to, from thousands of small wounds inflicted by Romans who assumed that it would last forever. "For centuries, even as Rome grew into the Mediterranean's premier military and political power, its governing institutions, parliamentary rules, and political customs successfully fostered negotiation and compromise. By the 130s BC, however, Rome's leaders increasingly used these same tools to cynically pursue individual gain and obstruct their opponents. As the center decayed and dysfunction grew, arguments between politicians gave way to political violence in the streets. The stage was set for destructive civil wars--and ultimately the imperial reign of Augustus. The death of Rome's republic was not inevitable. In Mortal Republic, Watts shows it died because it was allowed to, from thousands of small wounds inflicted by Romans who assumed that it would last forever."-- Provided by publisher