Podcast appearances and mentions of Edward J Watts

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Best podcasts about Edward J Watts

Latest podcast episodes about Edward J Watts

KPFA - Letters and Politics
Heretic: Jesus Christ and the Other Sons of God by Catherine Nixey

KPFA - Letters and Politics

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2024 59:58


Guest: Catherine Nixey is a journalist and a classicist. She is the author of The Darkening Age and her latest, Heretic: Jesus Christ and the Other Sons of God. A Timeless Triptych includes Heretic: Jesus Christ and the Other Sons of God by Catherine Nixey; Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny by Edward J. Watts; and Letters & Politics Ancient History Audio Collection with more than 40 interviews.   The post Heretic: Jesus Christ and the Other Sons of God by Catherine Nixey appeared first on KPFA.

god jesus christ tyranny heretic sons of god kpfa catherine nixey edward j watts other sons
New Books Network
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

New Books Network

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2023 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

New Books in History
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

New Books in History

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2023 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

New Books in Literary Studies
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

New Books in Literary Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2023 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

New Books in Intellectual History
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

New Books in Intellectual History

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2023 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

New Books in Italian Studies
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

New Books in Italian Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2023 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/italian-studies

In Conversation: An OUP Podcast
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

In Conversation: An OUP Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2023 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today.

What Matters Most
Edward J. Watts #907

What Matters Most

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2021 53:13


What Matters Most podcast host Paul Samuel Dolman talks with historian Edward J. Watts about his latest book, The Eternal Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The post Edward J. Watts #907 appeared first on Paul Samuel Dolman.

fall watts roman empire what matters most edward j watts paul samuel dolman
New Books in Early Modern History
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

New Books in Early Modern History

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2021 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books in Ancient History
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

New Books in Ancient History

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2021 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books in Medieval History
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

New Books in Medieval History

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2021 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books Network
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

New Books Network

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2021 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In Conversation: An OUP Podcast
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

In Conversation: An OUP Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2021 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today.

New Books in Italian Studies
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

New Books in Italian Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2021 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/italian-studies

New Books in Intellectual History
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

New Books in Intellectual History

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2021 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

New Books in History
Edward J. Watts, "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" (Oxford UP, 2021)

New Books in History

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2021 67:35


As this book intriguingly explores, for those who would make Rome great again and their victims, ideas of Roman decline and renewal have had a long and violent history. The decline of Rome has been a constant source of discussion for more than 2200 years. Everyone from American journalists in the twenty-first century AD to Roman politicians at the turn of the third century BC have used it as a tool to illustrate the negative consequences of changes in their world. Because Roman history is so long, it provides a buffet of ready-made stories of decline that can help develop the context around any snapshot. And Rome did, in fact, decline and, eventually, fall. An empire that once controlled all or part of more than 40 modern European, Asian, and African countries no longer exists. Roman prophets of decline were, ultimately, proven correct-a fact that makes their modern invocations all the more powerful. If it happened then, it could happen now.  Edward J. Watts' The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea (Oxford UP, 2021) tells the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Each chapter offers the historical context necessary to understand a moment or a series of moments in which Romans, aspiring Romans, and non--Romans used ideas of Roman decline and restoration to seize power and remake the world around them. The story begins during the Roman Republic just after 200 BC. It proceeds through the empire of Augustus and his successors, traces the Roman loss of much of western Europe in the fifth century AD, and then follows Roman history as it runs through the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) until its fall in 1453. The final two chapters look at ideas of Roman decline and renewal from the fifteenth century until today. If Rome illustrates the profound danger of the rhetoric of decline, it also demonstrates the rehabilitative potential of a rhetoric that focuses on collaborative restoration, a lesson of great relevance to our world today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

The Rob Burgess Show
Ep. 202 - Edward J. Watts [II]

The Rob Burgess Show

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2021 60:26


Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess. On this, our 202nd episode, our returning guest is Edward J. Watts. You first heard Edward J. Watts on Episode 129. Edward J. Watts holds the Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Endowed Chair and is professor of history at the University of California, San Diego and lives in Carlsbad, California. He is the author and editor of several prize-winning books, including “The Final Pagan Generation” and “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny.” His new book, “The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea,” was published on Aug 3, 2021. Join The Rob Burgess Show mailing list! Go to tinyletter.com/therobburgessshow and type in your email address. Then, respond to the automatic message. Also please make sure to comment, follow, like, subscribe, share, rate and review everywhere the podcast is available, including iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Twitter, Internet Archive, TuneIn, RSS, and, now, Spotify. The official website for the podcast is www.therobburgessshow.com. You can find more about me by visiting my website, www.thisburgess.com.If you have something to say, record a voice memo on your smartphone and send it to therobburgessshow@gmail.com. Include “voice memo” in the subject line of the email. Also, if you want to call or text the show for any reason, the number is: 317-674-3547.

Life Of Caesar
Nero #18 – Eternal Decline Part 2

Life Of Caesar

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2021 63:14


This is part two of a massive two-and-a-half-hour chat we had recently Edward J. Watts, a professor of history at the University of California, San Diego, and author and editor of several prize-winning books, including THE FINAL PAGAN GENERATION, a great book about HYPATIA, a book out about the collapse of the Roman Republic, MORTAL REPUBLIC, and his latest book is THE ETERNAL DECLINE AND FALL OF ROME. The post Nero #18 – Eternal Decline Part 2 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.

Life Of Caesar
Nero #17 – Eternal Decline Part 1

Life Of Caesar

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2021 63:14


Edward J. Watts is a professor of history at the University of California, San Diego, and author and editor of several prize-winning books, including THE FINAL PAGAN GENERATION, a great book about HYPATIA, a book out about the collapse of the Roman Republic, MORTAL REPUBLIC, and his latest book is THE ETERNAL DECLINE AND FALL OF ROME. This is part one of a massive two-and-a-half-hour chat we had recently. The post Nero #17 – Eternal Decline Part 1 appeared first on Life Of The Caesars.

This Is Hell!
The ends of Roman history / Edward J. Watts

This Is Hell!

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2021 87:17


Historian Edward J. Watts on his book "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea" from Oxford University Press. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-eternal-decline-and-fall-of-rome-9780190076719?cc=us&lang=en&

Historically Thinking: Conversations about historical knowledge and how we achieve it

Edward Gibbon tells us that it was in the ruins of the Temple of Jupiter while listening to the singing of the barefooted friars that he first began to meditate on a history of the decline and fall of the city of Rome. He was far from the first English visitor to Rome to be deeply and profoundly moved by the ruins of the ancient empire; an early medieval English visitor in the 8th or 9th century wrote a poem describing the “works of giants decaying.” Nor was Gibbon the first to speak of the decline of Rome. As Edward Watts makes abundantly clear in his new book, The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea, no one was ever more preoccupied by the decline of Rome than the Romans themselves. Edward J. Watts is Professor & Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Endowed Chair in Byzantine Greek History at the University of California San Diego. The author of numerous books, he was last on the podcast in Episode 93 discussing his book Mortal Republic.

The Nomiki Show
Edward J. Watts, Matthew Cunningham-Cook, Napoleon Da Legend & Julia Doubleday | The Nomiki Show 08-04-21

The Nomiki Show

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2021 95:29


Keen On Democracy
Edward J. Watts on the Fall of the Roman Empire

Keen On Democracy

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2021 35:37


In this episode of "Keen On", Andrew is joined by Edward J. Watts, the author of "The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea", to tell the stories of the people who built their political and literary careers around promises of Roman renewal, as well as those of the victims they blamed for causing Rome's decline. Professor Watts received his PhD in History from Yale University in 2002. His research interests center on the intellectual and religious history of the Roman Empire and the early Byzantine Empire. His first book, City and School in Late Antique Athens and Alexandria (University of California Press, 2006), explains how the increasingly Christian upper class of the late antique world used a combination of economic and political pressures to neutralize pagan elements of the traditional educational system. City and School received the Outstanding Publication Award from the Classical Association of the Middle West and South in 2007. His second book, Riot in Alexandria: Historical Debate in Pagan and Christian Communities (University of California Press, 2010), uses Greek, Latin, Coptic, and Syriac sources to reconstruct an Alexandrian riot that erupted in 486 AD. Riot received a 2010 PROSE Award Honorable Mention in Classics and Ancient History. His third book, The Final Pagan Generation (University of California Press, 2015) offers a generational history of the men born in the 310s that traces the experience of living through the fourth century's dramatic religious and political changes. It was awarded the 2015 Phi Alpha Theta Best Subsequent Book Prize. His fourth book, Hypatia: The Life and Legend of an Ancient Philosopher (Oxford University Press, 2017) recounts the life of an important female philosopher whose work redefined philosophy and whose death resonated as a symbol of dramatic religious and social change in the early fifth century. He is also the author of Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny (Basic Books, 2018). In addition to these five books, he has co-edited five other volumes (From the Theodosians to the Tetrarchs [Cambridge, 2010]; Shifting Cultural Frontiers in Late Antiquity [Ashgate, 2012]; Freedom of Speech and Self Censorship in Late Antiquity [a special issue of the Revue Belge published in 2014]; Late Antique Letter Collections: A Critical Introduction and Reference Guide [University of California Press, 2016], and the Blackwell Companion to Late Antique Literature [Wiley-Blackwell, forthcoming]. He has also authored more than 40 articles on topics ranging from the Old Academy in the fourth century BC to the relationship between orality and textuality in the early Byzantine period. He is currently preparing a monograph tracing the Romanization and de-Romanization of the Mediterranean world between 96 and 850 AD (The Rise and Fall of the Roman Nation, [Oxford University Press, forthcoming]) and is co-authoring a volume introducing the historical and classroom uses of Roman imperial coins. Before coming to UCSD in 2012, Professor Watts taught for ten years at Indiana University. Professor Watts teaches courses on Byzantine History, Roman History, Late Antique Christianity and paganism, Roman numismatics, and the history of the Medieval Mediterranean. Dr. Watts was the director of the Center for Hellenic Studies from 2014-2016. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

War College
Rome Was Always in Decline

War College

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2021 49:06


Are we living in a declining empire in need of renewal? Maybe.But one thing to keep in mind? Romans thought the same thing centuries before the great empire fell.So what's up with the fascination with the decline and fall of Rome? And what lessons does it have for US politics?To help us answer that question, we've got Edward J. Watts. He's a professor of history at UC San Diego and the author of a new book, The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Worker and Parasite
The Final Pagan Generation by Edward J. Watts

Worker and Parasite

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2021 69:05


In this episode we discuss The Final Pagan Generation: Rome's Unexpected Path to Christianity by Edward J. Watts. Next time we'll discuss The Storm Before the Calm: America's Discord, the Coming Crisis of the 2020s, and the Triumph Beyond by George Friedman.

Worker and Parasite
On Desire by William B. Irvine

Worker and Parasite

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2021 72:29


In this episode we discuss On Desire: Why We Want What We Want by William B. Irvine. Next time we'll discuss The Final Pagan Generation: Rome's Unexpected Path to Christianity by Edward J. Watts.

Survive the Jive Podcast
The Final Pagan Generation - a book about Rome's last pagans

Survive the Jive Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2021 33:01


The Final Pagan Generation recounts the story of the lives and fortunes of the last Romans born before the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. Edward J. Watts traces their experiences of living through the fourth century’s dramatic religious and political changes, when heated confrontations saw the Christian establishment legislate against pagan practices as mobs attacked pagan holy sites and temples. Watts examines why the "final pagan generation"—born to the old ways and the old world in which it seemed to everyone that religious practices would continue as they had for the past two thousand years—proved both unable to anticipate the changes that imperially sponsored Christianity produced and unwilling to resist them. This book is relevant today due to obvious modern parallels. This podcast depends on your support:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/survivethejiveAll Links: https://linktr.ee/SurvivetheJiveBitcoin: bc1qq4x3pwvpq7kxu0ws8wm7f0yu8cuddfgl9349umChainlink: 0x9168c809ca9f3f3655E7160384F7587b1Bc83237

Give and Take
Episode 209: Pandemics Old and New, with Edward J. Watts

Give and Take

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2020 73:16


My guest is Edward J. Watts. He holds the Alkiviadis Vassiliadis endowed Chair and is professor of history at the University of California, San Diego. The author and editor of several prize-winning books, including The Final Pagan Generation (https://www.amazon.com/Final-Generation-Transformation-Classical-Heritage-ebook/dp/B00Q6B7FXW/ref=pd_sbsd_14_3/146-5135130-5937969?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00Q6B7FXW&pd_rd_r=0fec29e1-a8b5-4cdd-a3be-2b36f300760e&pd_rd_w=3QCKb&pd_rd_wg=sUeEC&pf_rd_p=2c2d0d3b-b3c5-4110-93fa-2c1270309ac1&pf_rd_r=7R1CRVMDQYG3JJ3YM34C&psc=1&refRID=7R1CRVMDQYG3JJ3YM34C) and Mortal Republic (https://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Republic-Rome-Fell-Tyranny/dp/0465093817), he lives in Carlsbad, California. Special Guest: Edward J. Watts.

KPFA - Letters and Politics
Fund Drive Special – Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire Series (Part 2)

KPFA - Letters and Politics

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2020 25:13


Today, we hear part two of Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire series. In this episode, we continue our conversation with Edward J. Watts diving into what tore the ancient Roman Republic apart.  We talk about what happened in the more than one hundred years in which the Roman republic descended into chaos caused by factional fighting that at first was very political but then turned violent. Guest: Edward J. Watts holds the Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Endowed Chair and is a professor of history at the University of California, San Diego. The author and editor of several prize-winning books, including The Final Pagan Generation.  His latest is Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny. Support KPFA, Donate today! MP3 CD Rome: From Republic to Empire. 3 One Hour Shows with Edward Watts and Barry Strauss  $75 MP3 CD The Rise & Fall of the Roman Empire  $120 USB Drive The Ancient History Pack (Over 30 interviews)   $180 Book: Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny by Edward J. Watts  $150 The post Fund Drive Special – Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire Series (Part 2) appeared first on KPFA.

The Hartmann Report
Author Edward J Watts sees clear warnings in the history of the fall of the Roman Republic as to how we might save our democracy- a fascinating 40 minute deep dive. But first- what is Bolton doing to the people of Venezuela? And the shenanigans of a Russi

The Hartmann Report

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2019 61:53


Thom reads from the Mueller report, page 32, which covers the activities of the Russian troll farm that helped manipulate the 2016 presidential election. ~~~ Donald Trump, Elliot Abrams, and John Bolton thought that they could overthrow the democratically elected Maduro government of Venezuela. They were wrong. Now they are going after Venezuela with sanctions designed to hurt common people there. Mark Weisbrot, Co-Director of the Center for Economic & Policy Research shares his keen insights on the situation. Can the people of Venezuela withstand sanctions until Donald Trump can be forced out of office?Thom reads from 'Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny' by Edward J. Watts.. ~~~ The fall of the Roman Empire in 476 CE is well known. Less known, is whether the US will fall this century. Edward J Watts' recent book ‘Mortal Republic’ tells the story of Rome's democratic Republican era, and how Rome fell into tyranny. Mr. Watts thinks there are clear warnings for how we might save the American Republic.

KPFA - Letters and Politics
Fund Drive Special – Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire Series (Part 2 of 3)

KPFA - Letters and Politics

Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2019 59:58


Today, we hear part two of Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire series. In this episode we continue our conversation with Edward J. Watts diving in to what tore the ancient Roman Republic apart.  We talk about what happened in the more than one hundred years in which the Roman republic descended into chaos caused by factional fighting that at first was very political but then turned violent. Guest: Edward J. Watts holds the Alkiviadis Vassiliadis endowed Chair and is professor of history at the University of California, San Diego. The author and editor of several prize-winning books, including The Final Pagan Generation.  His latest is Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny. Support KPFA, Donate today! MP3 CD Rome: From Republic to Empire. 3 One Hour Shows with Edward Watts and Barry Strauss  $75 MP3 CD The Rise & Fall of the Roman Empire  $120 USB Drive The Ancient History Pack (Over 30 interviews)   $180 Book: Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny by Edward J. Watts  $150 The post Fund Drive Special – Ancient Rome: From Republic to Empire Series (Part 2 of 3) appeared first on KPFA.

Plus on est de fous, plus on lit!
Mardi 19 février 2019 Plus on est de fous, plus on lit!

Plus on est de fous, plus on lit!

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2019 105:19


L’actualité culturelle à Toronto avec Russell Smith. Pierre-luc Brisson a lu pour nous Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny de Edward J. Watts. Le morceau choisi de Mariève Maréchal, pour son roman La minotaure. Elles ont changé le monde avec Renaud Manuguerra-Gagné; Marthe Gauthier. Et une heure avec Gilles Leroy pour son nouveau roman, Le diable emporte le fils rebelle.

Historically Thinking: Conversations about historical knowledge and how we achieve it

When the Greek general Pyrrhus encountered the Roman Republic for the first time, he was deeply confused. Having served with Alexander the Great, and used to the ways of the Eastern Mediterranean, he had never seen anything like Rome. Confused, he legendarily said,"I do not know what barbarians these are." Far from being the "primitive society" that Pyrrhus expected, the Roman Republic was resilient, and implacable in its resistance to external attack—either on the battlefield or from Pyrrhus' attempts at bribery. My guest today is Edward J. Watts, Professor & Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Endowed Chair in Byzantine Greek History at the University of California San Diego. The author of numerous books, his most recent is Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny. We discuss the origins of the republic, and I spend a lot of time trying to get my head around its complex structure. Then we sweep through the wars with Carthage, and end with the attempts of the Gracchi brothers to introduce change through violence. We also discuss Watts' important thesis: that republics last as long as their citizens want them to last; that decline is therefore a choice, or the choice not to make a choice. For Further Investigation Episode 11: Barry Strauss on the Death of Caesar Episode 63: Julius Caesar, Historian Klaus Bringmann, A History of the Roman Republic (Polity, 2007) David M. Gwynn, The Roman Republic: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2012)    

Give and Take
Episode 144: Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny, Edward J. Watts

Give and Take

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2019 56:16


My guest is Edward J. Watts. In Mortal Republic, this prize-winning historian offers a new history of the fall of the Roman Republic that explains why Rome exchanged freedom for autocracy. For centuries, even as Rome grew into the Mediterranean's premier military and political power, its governing institutions, parliamentary rules, and political customs successfully fostered negotiation and compromise. By the 130s BC, however, Rome's leaders increasingly used these same tools to cynically pursue individual gain and obstruct their opponents. As the center decayed and dysfunction grew, arguments between politicians gave way to political violence in the streets. The stage was set for destructive civil wars--and ultimately the imperial reign of Augustus. The death of Rome's Republic was not inevitable. In Mortal Republic (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B84NKNP?tag=hacboogrosit-20), Watts shows it died because it was allowed to, from thousands of small wounds inflicted by Romans who assumed that it would last forever. Special Guest: Edward J. Watts.

The Book Review
Tyranny in Rome and Fake Drugs in Fiction

The Book Review

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2018 61:50


Yascha Mounk discusses Edward J. Watts's "Mortal Republic," and Jonathan Lethem talks about the surge of fictional psychotropic drugs in novels.

The Rob Burgess Show
Ep. 129 - Edward J. Watts

The Rob Burgess Show

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2018 66:21


Hello and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess. On this, our 129th episode, our guest is Edward J. Watts. Edward J. Watts holds the Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Endowed Chair and is professor of history at the University of California, San Diego. The author and editor of several prize-winning books, including The Final Pagan Generation, he lives in Carlsbad, California. His new book, “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny,” was released last month on Basic Books. Join The Rob Burgess Show mailing list! Go to tinyletter.com/therobburgessshow and type in your email address. Then, respond to the automatic message. I have a Patreon account, which can be found at www.patreon.com/robburgessshowpatreon. I hope you'll consider supporting in any amount. Also please make sure to comment, follow, like, subscribe, share, rate and review everywhere the podcast is available, including iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Facebook, Twitter, Internet Archive, TuneIn and RSS. The official website for the podcast is www.therobburgessshow.com. You can find more about me by visiting my website, www.thisburgess.com. If you have something to say, record a voice memo on your smartphone and send it to therobburgessshow@gmail.com. Include “voice memo” in the subject line of the email.

The AskHistorians Podcast
AskHistorians Podcast 125 -- How Rome Fell Into Tyranny w/Dr. Edward J. Watts

The AskHistorians Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2018 44:36


(44:35)   Today we talk with Dr. Edward J. Watts, author of Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell Into Tyranny (Basic Books, 2018) about how Rome transitioned from a republic to an empire, and the politics of economics and social accountability.   You can find his book here.   The /r/AskHistorians discussion thread for this podcast can be found here

Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI Radio in New York
Edward Watts tells Leonard about his book "Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny" (11/7/18)

Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI Radio in New York

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2018 56:44


“Readers will find many parallels to today’s fraught political environment,” reads the Publishers Weekly review of “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny” by Wednesday’s guest on “Leonard Lopate at Large” on WBAI, UC San Diego professor Edward J. Watts. “The powerful influence of money in politics, a delegitimized establishment and the emergence of a personality-driven, populist politicking…His well-crafted analysis makes clear the subject matter’s relevance to contemporary political conversations.” While Americans often compare this particular moment in the nation’s history to the fall of Rome, in this installment of the show, Leonard and Prof. Watts will examine the concrete similarities between the end of their civilization and ours.

New Books in Ancient History
Edward J. Watts, “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny” (Basic Books, 2018)

New Books in Ancient History

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2018 64:13


Despite enduring for nearly five centuries, the Roman Republic ended in a series of crises and wars that discredited the idea of republics in the West for centuries. In Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny (Basic Books, 2018), Edward J. Watts examines why Romans traded the liberty of political autonomy for the security of autocracy. As he explains, for all of its longevity the Roman Republic contained a number of inherent weaknesses. These emerged as Rome found itself in a series of wars in the 3rd century BC, which posed an unprecedented strain on republican institutions. In response, a new group of political outsiders emerged in response to the increasing demands of military service and the growing problem of economic inequality. Longstanding political norms eroded in the face of these challenges, with the men who did so rewarded rather than punished for their actions. Though successive leaders endeavored to maintain the Republic in some form, the longevity of both Octavian's rule as emperor as well as that of his successor Tiberius ensured that when Octavian's arrangements were first tested the Republic was by then gone from the living memory of most Romans, who appreciated the stability Octavian had brought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books Network
Edward J. Watts, “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny” (Basic Books, 2018)

New Books Network

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2018 64:13


Despite enduring for nearly five centuries, the Roman Republic ended in a series of crises and wars that discredited the idea of republics in the West for centuries. In Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny (Basic Books, 2018), Edward J. Watts examines why Romans traded the liberty of political autonomy for the security of autocracy. As he explains, for all of its longevity the Roman Republic contained a number of inherent weaknesses. These emerged as Rome found itself in a series of wars in the 3rd century BC, which posed an unprecedented strain on republican institutions. In response, a new group of political outsiders emerged in response to the increasing demands of military service and the growing problem of economic inequality. Longstanding political norms eroded in the face of these challenges, with the men who did so rewarded rather than punished for their actions. Though successive leaders endeavored to maintain the Republic in some form, the longevity of both Octavian’s rule as emperor as well as that of his successor Tiberius ensured that when Octavian’s arrangements were first tested the Republic was by then gone from the living memory of most Romans, who appreciated the stability Octavian had brought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books in African Studies
Edward J. Watts, “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny” (Basic Books, 2018)

New Books in African Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2018 64:13


Despite enduring for nearly five centuries, the Roman Republic ended in a series of crises and wars that discredited the idea of republics in the West for centuries. In Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny (Basic Books, 2018), Edward J. Watts examines why Romans traded the liberty of political autonomy for the security of autocracy. As he explains, for all of its longevity the Roman Republic contained a number of inherent weaknesses. These emerged as Rome found itself in a series of wars in the 3rd century BC, which posed an unprecedented strain on republican institutions. In response, a new group of political outsiders emerged in response to the increasing demands of military service and the growing problem of economic inequality. Longstanding political norms eroded in the face of these challenges, with the men who did so rewarded rather than punished for their actions. Though successive leaders endeavored to maintain the Republic in some form, the longevity of both Octavian’s rule as emperor as well as that of his successor Tiberius ensured that when Octavian’s arrangements were first tested the Republic was by then gone from the living memory of most Romans, who appreciated the stability Octavian had brought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books in European Studies
Edward J. Watts, “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny” (Basic Books, 2018)

New Books in European Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2018 64:13


Despite enduring for nearly five centuries, the Roman Republic ended in a series of crises and wars that discredited the idea of republics in the West for centuries. In Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny (Basic Books, 2018), Edward J. Watts examines why Romans traded the liberty of political autonomy for the security of autocracy. As he explains, for all of its longevity the Roman Republic contained a number of inherent weaknesses. These emerged as Rome found itself in a series of wars in the 3rd century BC, which posed an unprecedented strain on republican institutions. In response, a new group of political outsiders emerged in response to the increasing demands of military service and the growing problem of economic inequality. Longstanding political norms eroded in the face of these challenges, with the men who did so rewarded rather than punished for their actions. Though successive leaders endeavored to maintain the Republic in some form, the longevity of both Octavian’s rule as emperor as well as that of his successor Tiberius ensured that when Octavian’s arrangements were first tested the Republic was by then gone from the living memory of most Romans, who appreciated the stability Octavian had brought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books in History
Edward J. Watts, “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny” (Basic Books, 2018)

New Books in History

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2018 64:13


Despite enduring for nearly five centuries, the Roman Republic ended in a series of crises and wars that discredited the idea of republics in the West for centuries. In Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny (Basic Books, 2018), Edward J. Watts examines why Romans traded the liberty of political autonomy for the security of autocracy. As he explains, for all of its longevity the Roman Republic contained a number of inherent weaknesses. These emerged as Rome found itself in a series of wars in the 3rd century BC, which posed an unprecedented strain on republican institutions. In response, a new group of political outsiders emerged in response to the increasing demands of military service and the growing problem of economic inequality. Longstanding political norms eroded in the face of these challenges, with the men who did so rewarded rather than punished for their actions. Though successive leaders endeavored to maintain the Republic in some form, the longevity of both Octavian’s rule as emperor as well as that of his successor Tiberius ensured that when Octavian’s arrangements were first tested the Republic was by then gone from the living memory of most Romans, who appreciated the stability Octavian had brought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Books in Middle Eastern Studies
Edward J. Watts, “Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny” (Basic Books, 2018)

New Books in Middle Eastern Studies

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2018 64:13


Despite enduring for nearly five centuries, the Roman Republic ended in a series of crises and wars that discredited the idea of republics in the West for centuries. In Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny (Basic Books, 2018), Edward J. Watts examines why Romans traded the liberty of political autonomy for the security of autocracy. As he explains, for all of its longevity the Roman Republic contained a number of inherent weaknesses. These emerged as Rome found itself in a series of wars in the 3rd century BC, which posed an unprecedented strain on republican institutions. In response, a new group of political outsiders emerged in response to the increasing demands of military service and the growing problem of economic inequality. Longstanding political norms eroded in the face of these challenges, with the men who did so rewarded rather than punished for their actions. Though successive leaders endeavored to maintain the Republic in some form, the longevity of both Octavian’s rule as emperor as well as that of his successor Tiberius ensured that when Octavian’s arrangements were first tested the Republic was by then gone from the living memory of most Romans, who appreciated the stability Octavian had brought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SWC Podcast
Episode 7: The Great Hypatia

SWC Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2018 68:27


In this episode I speak with Byzantine historian Dr. Edward J. Watts from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD). Dr. Watts has written an excellent new book on Hypatia, arguably the greatest ancient female philosopher. Most discussions of Hypatia focus on her death at the hands of a Christian mob, whereas Edward's book tries to refocus our attention on the heroism of her life. As we discuss, Hypatia's greatness comes not just from the fact that she was a female philosopher who undoubtedly endured sexism but from the fact that, despite the sexism, she was a great philosopher, earning the respect of male and female intellectuals alike. Throughout our discussion we touch on the state of ancient Alexandria during Hypatia's time, the famous menstrual rag incident, the relationship between mathematics and philosophy, and more.