The lessons of ancient Rome: in The Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic, author Steve Bonta examines the lessons of the growth and decline of the Roman state in the centuries before the empire.(Book review)

The Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic: Lessons for Modern America, by Steve Bonta, Ph.D., Appleton, Wisconsin: The John Birch Society, 2006, 137 pages, paperback. For ordering information, see the ad on the inside front cover.

In many ways the modern world is but an echo of ancient Rome. For that we have to thank Francesco Petrarch. A 14th century Italian scholar, poet, and freelance diplomat, Petrarch saw in Rome the ruins of a civilization that seemed to tower above his own. Impressed by the majesty of the glory that was ancient Rome, Petrarch spent his life recovering and then reading and studying ancient Latin literature. After him came other scholars who, heavily influenced by his example, carried on his work. Through them and their works, the political history of Rome began to inform the political philosophy of Europe and, later, America, where the American Founding Fathers were influenced by several factors, very much including their familiarity with the history of Rome.

The influence of Ancient Rome on the modern world, though seemingly diminished with time, has not ceased. Moreover, Roman history seems to run parallel to our own. Famed historian Barbara Tuchman once described the 13th century as a "distant mirror," into which we could look and see staring back at us some truths about ourselves. Even more so does Rome seem to be this distant mirror. Looking at Rome, we seem to see our own history and, possibly, our own future. Indeed, in no previous time has Roman history been more relevant than the present day.

Unfortunately, though Ancient Rome has lost none of its power to fascinate, the general level of historical literacy is such that most citizens have only a passing familiarity with the subject. They may know--from Shakespeare--that Caesar was murdered. But there is very little understanding of the relevance of that murder, of what part it played in the death of the Roman Republic and the birth of the empire, or of how the lessons of that era apply to today. And while there are plenty of fine, scholarly books on the subject, most of these are written for an audience already familiar with the story, and most focus on the Roman Empire as opposed to the republic. Yet Rome's great experiment in ordered liberty occurred during the time of the republic, which came to an end before Christ walked the Earth. And it is the history of the republic, not the empire, that is more fascinating and uplifting--and far more relevant to us today.

What is needed is a book that reintroduces the subject of Rome to the American people and that puts the focus where it belongs--on the republic! Fortunately, in Dr. Steve Bonta's The Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic, this book now exists.

Regular readers of THE NEW AMERICAN will recognize that the book is an adaptation of a series of articles originally appearing in this magazine. In fact, some readers suggested that these articles be compiled in a book. Now that they have been compiled, with some new material added, the result is, in this reviewer's opinion, much greater than the sum of the parts.

THE OVERTHROW OF TYRANNY