The AskHistorians Podcast AskHistorians Podcast 125 -- How Rome Fell Into Tyranny w/Dr. Edward J. Watts
Nov 23, 2018
Dr. Edward J. Watts, a history professor at UC San Diego and author of *Mortal Republic*, delves into the decline of the Roman Republic. He examines the political turmoil and the rise of autocracy, highlighting key figures like Tiberius Gracchus and Augustus. Watts draws intriguing parallels between ancient Rome and modern U.S. governance, discussing the relevance of historical context in today's political landscape. He also explores the complex relationship between freedom and security, especially in light of Julius Caesar's assassination.
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Hidden Economic Growth Fueled Tensions
- The Roman economy grew and became more sophisticated in the mid-2nd century BC, creating deeper economic tensions than previously thought.
- Demographic shifts combined with economic change produced long-buried pressures that later overwhelmed Republican institutions.
Resilience Masked A Slow Unraveling
- The Republic managed rising pressures for generations through consensus-building institutions before they finally failed in the 130s BC.
- That institutional resilience masked deeper, slowly accumulating conflicts until they became unmanageable.
Augustus Made The Trade Explicit
- The explicit trade-off of freedom for security crystallized under Augustus, who openly promised stability in exchange for political power.
- Earlier actors like Pompey played similar roles implicitly, but lacked Augustus's clear social contract framing.
