Pilot Lecture: How Republics Die—The Fall of the Roman Republic

When is a republic in crisis? How can we tell the difference between true political instability and media hype? Why do some constitutional governments last for centuries while others fail? One way to answer these questions and others is to look back on the events of the past and see what they can tell us about today. In How Republics Die: The Fall of the Roman Republic, Professor Nicholas Kenney will take you back to the collapse of a republican government that thrived for over five centuries before it finally failed. As you examine the transformation of the Roman government into an increasingly despotic and imbalanced political entity, you’ll see what made Rome such a successful Republic—and what ultimately transformed it from a democracy to a dictatorship.