Category: Roman Empire

The military explanation for the fall of Rome is a familiar one, and it remains popular. It goes something like this: by the third century barbarians began to outnumber native Roman citizens in the ranks of the army; cavalry units eclipsed the traditional foundation of Roman strength found in the infantry legions; frontier units became…

Every so often I pick a general topic I want to better educate myself about. This year, I’ve focused on explaining the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, a timeless debate that never seems to lose its relevance, literally argued, refuted, and refined continuously from the time of the Declaration of Independence to the…

It is impossible to pinpoint the high watermark of the Roman Empire, but one could make a strong argument for the reign of Hadrian (117-138 AD). His long, sober and steady leadership was a conscious emulation of Augustus, the first and arguably greatest Caesar – modest, congenial and wise. Just as Hadrian was a worthy,…

The history of Rome is, in many ways, the history of the frontier – how it expanded and was governed and secured. Edward Luttwak, a professor of strategic studies, brings a unique perspective to a topic that has long remained, for better or worse, the realm of classical scholars. The overarching theme is that the…

At first blush, Reza Aslan – an Iranian émigré turned Born Again Christian turned Shia Muslim Creative Writing professor – isn’t the ideal candidate to write an historical narrative of Jesus of Nazareth. But he does it rather well, at least from my rather uninformed perspective. Aslan’s central thesis in “Zealot: The Life and Times…

British ancient historian Michael Grant is a legend of sorts, although I’m sure that plenty of classically trained Roman historians shutter at that appellation. Here, with “The Twelve Caesars,” originally published in 1975, he seeks to deliver to a modern audience in plain English and shorn of contemporary prejudice the men who ruled Rome from…