Originally published on April 15, 2015 (Episode 11)
Introduction
“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there,” wrote L.P. Hartley. For most of us, the late Roman Republic feels familiar—our republic’s architecture echoes Rome’s, and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar remains standard reading. But in truth, it is a profoundly foreign place.
To appreciate it fully, we need a guide. In this conversation, Barry Strauss joins me to lead us through the political intrigues and cultural assumptions that shaped the death of Caesar and the fall of the Republic. With clarity and narrative power, Strauss helps us see Rome on its own terms, rather than through the comfortable bubble of modern analogies.
About the Guest
Barry Strauss is Professor of History and Classics at Cornell University and a leading authority on ancient military and political history.
For Further Investigation
Barry Strauss, The Death of Caesar: The Story of History's Most Famous Assassination (Simon and Schuster, 2015)
Barry Strauss, The Battle of Salamis: The Naval Encounter That Saved Greece—and Western Civilization (Simon and Schuster, 2005
Barry Strauss, The Spartacus War (Simon and Schuster, 2010)
Barry Strauss, Rowing Against the Current: On Learning to Scull at Forty (Touchstone, 2001)
Nicholas of Damascus, Life of Augustus (translated fragments)
Édith Parmentier & Francesca Prometea Barone (eds.), Nicolas de Damas: Histoires; Recueil de coutumes; Vie d’Auguste; Autobiographie. Fragments
💬 Listen & Discuss
What does it take to see the Roman Republic as a “foreign country” rather than as a mirror of ourselves? Share your reflections in the comments, and pass this episode along to someone who quotes Shakespeare when thinking about Caesar.
