Originally published on January 9, 2019 (Episode 93)
Introduction
When Pyrrhus of Epirus first confronted Rome, he was baffled by a republic unlike anything he had seen in the Greek world. Rome proved resilient, implacable, and remarkably resistant to corruption or conquest. But centuries later, Rome’s republic collapsed into tyranny.
In Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny (Basic Books, 2018), Edward J. Watts traces this collapse, showing how Rome’s political culture eroded from the Gracchi brothers onward. In our conversation, we discuss the fragile architecture of republican government, the role of citizens in sustaining or abandoning their system, and Watts’ provocative thesis: republics die not by destiny but by the choices of their citizens.
About the Guest
Edward J. Watts is Professor and Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Endowed Chair in Byzantine Greek History at the University of California, San Diego. He is the author of numerous works on Roman and Byzantine history, including The Final Pagan Generation.
For Further Investigation
Edward J. Watts, Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny (Basic Books, 2018)
—, The Final Pagan Generation: Rome’s Unexpected Path to Christianity (California, 2020)
Klaus Bringmann, A History of the Roman Republic (Polity, 2007)
David M. Gwynn, The Roman Republic: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2012)
Related Episodes
Listen & Discuss
What lessons can modern republics learn from Rome’s fall?
How do citizens sustain—or weaken—the institutions of self-government?
Are republics destined to fail, or do they collapse only when neglected?
If this conversation sparked new thoughts on the health of democracy today, share it with a friend who follows politics or history.
