The Rise And Fall Of The Roman Republic

An introductory twelve-lecture online course by Hillsdale College. https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/promo/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-roman-republic The Roman Republic is one of the greatest examples of political and military achievement in human history. The story of how the ancient Romans rose from a small village in Italy to dominate the Mediterranean world highlights the virtues necessary to preserve a republic, while an examination of why Rome collapsed into tyranny reveals the perils of unprecedented success and the challenges common to free government. In this free, twelve-lecture course, students will explore the fascinating history of the Roman Republic from its founding through the assassination of Julius Caesar. Topics covered in this course include: - The geography and origins of ancient Rome; - The genius of the Roman constitution; - The Punic Wars and the rapid expansion of Rome throughout the Mediterranean; - The political turmoil and domestic unrest caused by Rome’s success; - The civil war between Marius and Sulla; - Cicero’s attempts to defend the Republic; and the assassination of Julius Caesar and the collapse of the Republic. This course especially examines the choices of Rome’s greatest figures—Romulus, Cincinnatus, Cato the Elder, Fabius Maximus, Scipio Africanus, the Gracchi brothers, Marius, Sulla, Cicero, Julius Caesar, and more—in order to learn from their great successes and failures. The result is one of the best moral and political educations available—a history that was well-known to America’s founding generation. Join Kenneth Calvert, professor of history, and Carl Young, assistant professor of classics, to discover the timeless lessons of the Roman Republic today. Lecture 1: 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. Lecture 2: https://rumble.com/v6bbumv-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-roman-republic-the-ancient-world-before-rome-lesso.html

Lecture 2: 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. Lecture 3: https://rumble.com/v6bc3ng-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-roman-republic-the-founding-of-rome-lesson-3.html

Lecture 3: 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. Lecture 4: https://rumble.com/v6bcavg-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-roman-republic-the-roman-constitution-lecture-4.html

Lecture 4: 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. Lecture 5: https://rumble.com/v6bcorv-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-roman-republic-patricians-and-plebeians-lecture-5.html

Lecture 5: 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. Lecture 6: https://rumble.com/v6bcx7m-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-roman-republic-the-punic-wars-lecture-6.html

Lecture 6: 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. Lecture 7: https://rumble.com/v6bqwo7-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-roman-republic-cato-the-elder-and-the-gracchi-lect.html

Lecture 7 - The Challenges of Expansion: Cato the Elder and the Gracchi: 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. Lecture 8: https://rumble.com/v6br1cy-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-roman-republic-civil-war-marius-and-sulla-lecture-.html

Lecture 8: 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. Lecture 9: https://rumble.com/v6br8ep-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-roman-republic-the-first-triumvirate-lecture-9.html

Lecture 9 - The First Triumvirate: Crassus, Pompey, and Caesar: 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. Lecture 10: https://rumble.com/v6brhws-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-roman-republic-ciceros-defense-of-the-republic-lec.html

Lecture 10: 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. Lecture 11: https://rumble.com/v6bs1ev-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-roman-republic-caesar-and-the-collapse-of-the-roma.html