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Know and learn from history

I recently gave a lecture series on the similarities between a period in Roman history known as the “End of the Republic” (133 BC – 43 BC) and the present era in American history. I believe, with George Santayana and Edmund Burke, that those who don’t know history are “doomed to repeat it.” In other words, the best way to avoid the mistakes of the past is to know and learn from history.

Our own Founders looked to Roman history for an example. The Roman Republic began in 509 BC when an angry citizenry chased the last of the Etruscan kings, Tarquin the Proud, from the throne. Free from the tyranny of a despotic monarch, citizens took a vow to never again allow power to become consolidated in one man or one institution. For the next 500 years, they remained true to that pledge. The Republic finally came to an end with the assassination of Julius Caesar. While this dramatic act of violence is a convenient marker, the foundations of the Republic had become unstable long before.

Again, there are many similarities between the 90 years leading up to Caesar’s murder and what we see in American today. The leaders of Rome and the United States have both squandered countless resources in a “quest for empire.” This, coupled with virtually uncontrolled spending saddled both governments with increasing levels of debt.

Another similarity is that both Republican Rome and 21st century America have also seen a decline in the religiosity of their citizens. Not as a direct cause of, but often coupled with this decline in formal religion, both societies experienced an increase in decadence and immorality. Crime rose and institutions crumbled.

Bitter factionalism or partisanship is another area where American society has mirrored Rome. In both societies, economic uncertainty and cultural chaos led to general feeling of unrest in which citizens looked to unconventional leaders to repair or replace a “broken” system. Finally, while both Rome and the US have had external adversaries, both systems were/are the target of internal enemies determined to bring on the collapse of the system.

Herodotus and Thucydides, the greatest historians of the Ancient World, saw historical knowledge as useful in navigating successfully the perils of the present. I am hopeful our generation might take to heart the lessons of the past. Today, many Americans who look to the future with anxiety can take heart from the historical example. Romans, largely despondent about the collapse of the Republic, had no idea Augustus Caesar would soon usher in the Empire and 200 years of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana.

Kevin Ritter , Washington County Commissioner

Marietta

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