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We live in a culture which is interested in the end of things. I am more interested in the beginning. You always see "the last Wizard" (or whatever), I am more interested in the first.

Ian Welsh

@iwelsh

Jul 3, 2018

the fall of the Roman Republic or Empire is fascinating, yes, but more fascinating to me is the rise of the Republic AND you can only really understand the fall, anyway, if you understand what made it succeed first...

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Agreed. Also, Augustus is more fascinating than almost all the other emperors put together.

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I find the run of good emperors in the middle interesting.

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and

also Agustus's failure to have a good heir is interesting.

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Oh, both of those things, too. His various issues with family and heirs were something to behold.

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And, of course, if there is no Caesar, there is no Augustus... And it's interesting that people who could probably have ended the Republic before Augustus didn't: Marius, Sulla, Caesar, Pompey