The Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic: Lessons for Modern America

“Much has been made of the decline and fall of the [Roman] empire, but the real story, which had concluded by the time of Christ, was the decline and fall of the republic,” writes Steve Bonta in The Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic: Lessons for Modern America. With an emphasis on original sources, he surveys more than 1,200 years of Roman history and delivers a message with pointed relevance for modern-day Americans. Written in a colorful style that brings an entire historical era to life, the book reads like a warning signal for our civilization, as the importance of limited government — then and now — is made evident for even the casual reader.

The structure follows Rome’s arc: The Birth of the Republic; The Republic Matures; The Imperial Republic; Rise of the Welfare-Warfare State; Civil War and Despotism; Cicero, Catiline, and Conspiracy; The Rise of Caesarism; From Republic to Empire; Rome’s Dark Night of Tyranny; and Lessons of Rome. A Maps & Illustrations section and a Chronology help orient the narrative, while For Further Reading, an Index, and an About the Author close the volume.

The chapters are adapted from a series of articles on the rise and fall of the Roman Republic that appeared in The New American magazine during 2004–05. The result is a single, readable volume for history buffs, advanced students, and readers who worry whether our own nation’s current plight has more than one possible final chapter. (2006, 137pp, pb)