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Why America Isn’t Rome (And Why That Matters)

Why America Isn’t Rome (And Why That Matters)

The David Frum Show vor 1 Jahr

Mary Beard on history, myth, and the empire’s real lessons. Plus: the reemergence of fascism in America.

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On this episode of The David Frum Show, The Atlantic’s David Frum
opens with reflections on the misuse of history in today’s
politics. He argues that fascism, once thought to have been buried
by the Second World War, has reemerged in modern forms, thriving on
the endless hunt for enemies, stoking culture wars, and exploiting
new technologies. And he explains why the best antidotes remain
liberty, equality, and sometimes humor. Then David is joined by
Mary Beard, one of the world’s foremost scholars of Rome and author
of the New York Times best seller Emperor of Rome, for a
conversation about what the ancient world can teach us about
current politics. They discuss how Roman emperors wielded power,
why excess and corruption were baked into the system, and how
fragile even the strongest-seeming regimes can be. Beard explains
why myths about Roman grandeur persist, what daily life actually
looked like under the empire, and what lessons modern democracies
should (and should not) draw from Rome’s rise and fall. We've put
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