The Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic

Academics today are ignoring and wiping away our civilization’s history—a destructive act that robs us of the source of great wisdom. The proper study of ancient Rome reveals profound lessons in human achievement—especially in politics and military command.  

In the sixth-century BC, Rome did not appear well-positioned to dominate the Mediterranean. Rome’s rapid rise from a small village in the middle of the Italian Peninsula is particularly impressive when one considers the geography of the region and the primary powers of the ancient world. 

The founding myths and early history of Rome were well-known and revered by the people of the Roman Republic. The history of Rome from Romulus’s founding of the city through Brutus’s overthrow of the monarchy provided moral exemplars that helped form the character of the Roman citizen. 

Polybius argues that the Roman Republic’s constitution—its way of life—was the source of its greatness. By separating the powers of government into three parts—consuls, the Senate, and the people—the mixed constitution of Rome secured stability in peace and strength in war.  

The ideal Roman in the early Republic was an exemplary farmer, warrior, and citizen—a model embodied by Cincinnatus. This character of the ideal Roman—and the delicate balance between patricians and plebeians—faced new challenges as Rome expanded and conquered the entire Italian Peninsula by 270 BC. 

In the First and Second Punic Wars, Rome defeated the only remaining contender for supremacy over the Mediterranean–Carthage. After Scipio defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama, Rome controlled the western and central parts of the Mediterranean. 

The new empire brought wealth, corruption, and foreign influence to Rome and increased the tensions between the populares and optimates. The attempts by Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus to meet these challenges and preserve the character of Rome ended in political violence that threatened the Republic. 

Gaius Marius rose to preeminence in Roman politics in the late second century BC and was elected consul an unprecedented seven times. His military and voting reforms significantly changed the institutions of Rome and brought him into a conflict with the optimates—and their leader, Sulla—that culminated in civil war.

Crassus, Pompey, and Caesar amassed enormous military power and wealth amidst the political chaos of the late Republic. Their uneasy alliance—the First Triumvirate—collapsed into rivalries that sparked a civil war between Caesar and Pompey.  

Cicero devoted his career to saving the Republic from dangerous demagogues and a corrupt oligarchy. While his political efforts failed to preserve the Republic, he remains one of the most important figures from classical antiquity for his timeless works on politics, philosophy, and oratory. 

Julius Caesar is one of the greatest military and political geniuses in history. However, his actions at the end of the Roman Republic are open to intense debate, as historians argue whether he was a reformer attempting to save a corrupt regime or a tyrant who brought about its collapse. 

The American Founders carefully studied the history of the Roman Republic and modeled themselves after its great heroes: Publius, Cincinnatus, Cato, and Cicero. But while they admired the virtues of the Roman Republic, they sought to learn from its mistakes and established their new nation on different principles.