Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic
In-Person – Wednesday 1:10 pm – 2:50 pm
Jan 17, 24, 31 Feb. 7, 14
The Roman Republic has served as the template for nearly all republics up to the present day. But how did the Roman Republic go from a small city-state in Italy to the center of an empire that stretched across most of the known world? We cover Rome’s rise to prominence in their myriad wars against their enemies, including the heirs of Alexander the Great. We seek to understand how the Roman Republic, which won nearly every war, was finally overthrown from the inside.
This course covers:
- The Punic Wars: Rome’s Greatest Challenge – the series of wars Rome fought with the larger, wealthier and more ancient empire of Carthage for dominance of the Mediterranean.
- The Greco-Roman Wars: Rome vs. The Heirs of Alexander – Alexander the Great famously proclaimed his empire would go to “the strongest.” After a century of fighting, the sons and grandsons of the generals of Alexander realized with growing horror that the strongest might just be the semi-barbarians to the west who called themselves Romans.
- Wealthy Empire, Poor Citizens: The Class Crisis That Killed the Roman Republic – In the 3rd century B.C. Rome became increasingly wealthy while the average citizen became increasingly impoverished. What caused such a paradox to happen and how this crisis impacted one of the world’s earliest Republics?
- How Democracy Dies: to Thunderous Applause – As the 2nd century came to a close, Rome’s crises worsened and multiplied. In just 50 years, Rome endured political purges, wars abroad, invasions and civil wars. We explore how these factors led to the end of the Roman Republic and what can be learned from its downfall.
Joshua Hoffman earned a BA Magna Cum Laude from Brandeis University in History with minors in Classics and Medieval Renaissance Studies, and an MEd in Education from NYU Steinhardt. He believes the study of history is too often relegated to lists of names, dates and themes. His goal is the recasting of history as a grand, story-driven narrative, with fascinating plots and lessons from which to learn and improve our everyday lives.