A Life in the Classics

Sharing my research, teaching, and passion for the Classics.

What to Make of the Thucydides Trap?

A few weeks ago, Xi Jinping, the President of the People’s Republic of China, stated that he hoped that the United States and China could avoid falling…

From Democracy to Imperial Rule

My courses on the Roman Republic always end with the collapse of the Republican government and the rise of the imperial monarchy under Augustus, Rome’s…

Athenian Democracy vs. Roman Republicanism

The Framers of the US Constitution were heavily influenced by the governments of ancient Greece and Rome.

Fighting Political Corruption in the Ancient World

Political power offers many opportunities for corruption, and politicians throughout history have used the power of their office to seek personal…

Roman Fasces: Then and Now

I recently participated in a workshop with a wonderful group of Ohio educators examining ideas the US Constitution borrowed from the Roman Republic, and…

The Challenges of Ancient Democracy Part Two: The Roman Republic

Historians argue about how to describe the government of the Roman Republic.

Sparta’s Achilles Heel

The Spartans are justly legendary—their military prowess was famous in ancient Greece, and they won fame for their many victories in battle and even for…

Cato the Younger: Beyond the Caricature

One of the greatest challenges in studying ancient history is learning how to assess the accuracy of ancient writers.