Rubicon by Tom Holland

Rubicon by Tom Holland
Some pundits as well as numerous writers of letters to the editor love to use the Fall of Roman Empire as a lesson for today. Pointing to “bread and circuses” is a particular favorite. Yet, the Roman Empire is not a good example for the US. By the time Rome was ruled by an emperor – particularly the emperors such folks like to point to – it was too late to really compare accurately to the US.  A better example to look toward – certainly the one that our Founding Fathers looked toward – was the Roman Republic. Despite its flaws – it was very misogynistic, for example, and also reliant on slavery, especially in the late Republic – the Republic at its best (at least in its ideals) provided an example of freedom and governance. People of all classes felt they were basically free, that they could speak their minds, that they were subject to the whims of a king. Citizenship was important, and citizens defined themselves based on their relationships to their city and fellow citizens and aspired to public service.
The Roman Republic lasted for hundreds of years, yet it fell. The reasons for this fall were complex, but many were embedded in the very nature of the Republic and its citizens. Roman life was very competitive; Romans aspired to beat out their fellows in honor and position. Most Romans understood, and took steps to protect against, where this could lead to – excessive control by one man, who placed his own aspirations above that of the Republic itself. Yet, in the first century BC, all of these safeguards and all the best intentions of many who wanted to stop it from happening broke down and the Republic fell and Rome, which hadn’t had a king for centuries, again had a “king” (even if he called himself an emperor).
The reasons for this were many, and included the fact that Rome became far more involved in her overseas empire (which was growing by leaps and bounds), part was that, in parts of the empire, the amount of money involved grew to a great degree (this is tied to the previous point), and, growing from these two points, politics became nastier and more divisive. (This is saying a lot, because Roman politics puts even the current nasty divisiveness in the US to shame.)  Moreover, special interests and jockeying for position became more pronounced. This lead to first one breakdown (which lead to the rise of the dictator Sulla). After Sulla the Republic was restored, but the example was there, a line had been crossed, and that made it easier for the line to be crossed again.
Tom Holland’s Rubicon is a detailed, but very readable account of the last days of the Republic, from the time of Sulla through the rise of Augustus. He does a good job of both explaining all the forces at work within the empire – with enough background so that those not familiar with the setup of the Republic can understand what’s going on – as well as the diverse cast of characters, ranging from Sulla to Cicero. (His portrait of Cicero is well balanced. Not the unhesitant praise that some apply to him, but not the negative portrayal that Steven Saylor gives in his Roma Sub Rosa novels.)
This is a book that’s worth reading, both by those who know something already about that period but want yet another perspective on it as well as those who know little about the late Republic. Holland is yet another fine writer of popular history (in the best sense of the term). (We in fact seem to be going through a golden age of good history books. Thirty years ago, there were some, but not to the degree that they are now available.)
Recommended.