Murder, Mayhem, and Megalomania: the rise of authoritarianism in Ancient Rome; a talk by Professor Gwynaeth McIntyre.

The first century BCE was a time of immense upheaval in Rome. The Roman political systems strained under the pressure from both internal and external threats. Civil wars raged. Individual generals seeking more power and political control manipulated existing political systems and traditions to legitimize novel positions within Rome’s government.

  This talk examines some of the strategies individuals such as Sulla, Julius Caesar, and Augustus used to consolidate power. It begins by examining how Sulla placated the aristocracy and other high-ranking members of the Roman Senate while penalizing those who opposed him. It explores the rise of populism and how Julius Caesar leveraged his popular support to position himself as the leading politician in Rome; he made sweeping changes to political, religious, and social conventions – even changing the way people viewed time [a calendar that still influences our calendar to this day]. Finally, it discusses how the Roman Republic, whose foundation narrative reinforced Rome’s rejection of kings, ultimately accepted Augustus as “first citizen” leading to centuries of autocratic rule.

  As we see the rise of populism and authoritarian rule throughout our 21st century world, there is much to be learned from how the Romans grappled with these same challenges over 2 millennia ago.