The creator of the award-winning podcast series The History of Rome and Revolutions brings to life the bloody battles, political machinations, and human drama that set the stage for the fall of the Roman Republic.
The Roman Republic was one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of civilization. Beginning as a small city-state in central Italy, Rome gradually expanded into a wider world filled with petty tyrants, barbarian chieftains, and despotic kings. Through the centuries, Rome's model of cooperative and participatory government remained remarkably durable and unmatched in the history of the ancient world.
In 146 BC, Rome finally emerged as the strongest power in the Mediterranean. But the very success of the Republic proved to be its undoing. The republican system was unable to cope with the vast empire Rome now ruled: rising economic inequality disrupted traditional ways of life, endemic social and ethnic prejudice led to clashes over citizenship and voting rights, and rampant corruption and ruthless ambition sparked violent political clashes that cracked the once indestructible foundations of the Republic.
Chronicling the years 146-78 BC, The Storm Before the Storm dives headlong into the first generation to face this treacherous new political environment. Abandoning the ancient principles of their forbearers, men like Marius, Sulla, and the Gracchi brothers set dangerous new precedents that would start the Republic on the road to destruction and provide a stark warning about what can happen to a civilization that has lost its way.
ISBN-13: 9781610397216
Media Type: Hardcover
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Publication Date: 10-24-2017
Pages: 352
Product Dimensions: 6.30(w) x 8.70(h) x 1.40(d)
Mike Duncan is one of the foremost history podcasters in the world and author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Storm Before the Storm. His award-winning series The History of Rome has generated more than ninety million downloads and remains one of the most popular history podcasts on the internet. Duncan has continued this success with his ongoing series Revolutions — which so far has explored the English, American, French, and Haitian Revolutions. Since debuting in September 2013, Revolutions has generated more than forty-four million downloads.
Table of Contents
Timeline ix
Map of Roman Italy xv
Map of the Republican Empire xvi
Author's Note xix
Prologue: The Triumph of the Roman Republic 1
1 The Beasts of Italy 17
2 The Stepchildren of Rome 39
3 Daggers in the Forum 59
4 A City for Sale 81
5 The Spoils of Victory 99
6 The Golden Earring 115
7 Marius's Mules 129
8 The Third Founder of Rome 145
9 Italia 161
10 The Ruins of Carthage 185
11 The Spiked Boots 203
12 Civil War 225
13 Dictator For Life 245
Acknowledgments 267
Notes 269
The Ancient Sources 297
Select Modern Sources 303
Index 307