Roman Historia

As Caesar led his troops across the Rubicon in early January 49 BC, it was clear to all that Rome was once again facing the nightmare of civil war on its own soil. In the final years of the Roman Republic, military men who had gained fame and fortune through imperial conquests would increasingly come to dominate Roman politics. In the 80s, Rome had experienced a bitter civil war fought between the forces of  Marius and Sulla  — two ambitious military leaders who had turned their troops into personal armies. Within the space of a generation, Rome would once again see fellow countrymen pitted against one another — with the forces of Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great locked in a bitter conflict for control of the Roman world. When looking for omens of the Roman Republic’s impending collapse, warnings signs can be clearly seen in its last generation. Between 88 and 49 BC, Rome had experienced a brutal civil war, a spell of bloody proscriptions and cruel executions, a spate of m...

As the chaos unfolded on Capitol Hill last week, it quickly became apparent that we were watching history in the making. An enraged mob, encouraged by the president, storming the home of American democracy and attempting to vent their political frustrations, left many aghast at the scenes unfolding on their television screens. As the dust settles on Capitol Hill, the search for historical precedent is already underway — with the riots marking the first time that the Capitol has been breached  since the War of 1812 . However, we can look even further into the past to see examples of violent mobs seizing control of political institutions. The Roman Republic was no stranger to violence and disorder, and the years before its collapse into civil war and autocracy offer a stark warning for modern day democracies. In the last years of the free republic, Rome saw an uptick in domestic conflict and civil strife — with violence often spilling out onto the streets. Just as last week saw r...

To anyone entering the arena of Roman politics, the need to forge and maintain political alliances was a key skill to master. Whether it was for a bitterly fought election over the Consulship, or the direction of a senatorial debate, the use of political alliances has remained a constant theme throughout Roman history. Within the sphere of Roman politics, various different factors could be used to bring individuals together under the banner of a political faction – such as family ties, financial commitments, personal friendships or simply just mutual interests.  For any young senator looking to advance through the cursus , it was vital that they were able to navigate through the centuries old traditions of faction building to ensure that they could gain the required political support. Whilst these traditions were often highly complex, an insight into the art of alliance building can be gleamed from a highly publicised event in the history of the late republic – ...

By 52 BC, Rome found itself in a state of chaos. Endless bouts of street fighting between the mobs of two political heavyweights – Milo and Clodius – had paralyzed the city and left the Senate House in flames. Governmental business had ground to a standstill, consular elections were suspended, and the city had become unsafe as the rival mobs wreaked havoc. To many in Rome, the republic appeared to be under direct threat, and urgent action was demanded in the Senate. Under these circumstances, an extraordinary step was taken to tackle the situation – Pompey the Great was established as a sole consul for the year, giving him an absolute level of power to restore authority in the city. With the constraints of a consular colleague removed, Pompey was tasked with confronting these bloodthirsty gangs head on and bringing justice to the people of Rome. However, whilst such a command may appear truly incredible within the context of the Roman Republic, as we shall see, this step did...

Above: Julius Caesar receives the surrender of Vercingetorix For Julius Caesar, the conquest of Gaul would prove to be his greatest triumph. Spanning a multitude of barbarian tribes and local factions, Gaul had long invoked fear within the Roman psyche. The thought of giant, long haired and unruly Gallic chieftains marauding across Rome had remained a longstanding fear within the city, with the tribes of Gaul themselves becoming an almost mythical being in the Roman imagination. Caesar’s conquest of Gaul – encompassing parts of modern day France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg – would immortalise his name in Roman history as one of the all time great conquerors. However, on the battlefield outside of Alesia (modern day Dijon), Caesar’s troops, alongside his legacy, faced its biggest challenge. The Great Uprising As the January cold settled across the Gallic landscape, in 52 BC Caesar was well on his way to completing his conquest of Gaul. Having...