Restraint, Conflict, and the Fall of the Roman Republic

Strongly-held values can stabilize a society but also splinter it. In Restraint, Conflict, and the Fall of the Roman Republic, Paul Belonick explores the moral paradoxes of Republican Rome, arguing that the Roman focus on self-control solidified their peculiar, competitive, semi-formal government and then tore the Republic apart.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 08 February 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

In his book, Restraint, Conflict, and the Fall of the Roman Republic, Paul Belonick delves into the complex moral paradoxes of Republican Rome. He explores how aristocrats engaged in performative politics, driven by a fierce competitiveness that propelled the expansion of the empire. However, paradoxically, Roman orators and authors also emphasized the importance of self-control, moderation, and temperance. Scholars have long debated whether this moral obsession with self-control was merely a social marker of aristocratic status or if it had a more profound impact on the Roman government.

Belonick challenges this notion by arguing that the Roman emphasis on self-control solidified their peculiar, competitive, semi-formal government. He examines how values of restraint could both stabilize and de-stabilize Rome's political system. As conflicts arose over how to apply these values to novel circumstances, competitors saw each other as desecrating Republican principles and became targets for eradication. Belonick provides a vivid illustration of both sides of the Roman paradox: how values of self-control legitimized the Romans' competition and supported their fluid social structure and political institutions, but ultimately led to the collapse of the Republic.

Through his meticulous research and insightful analysis, Belonick offers a fresh perspective on the collapse of one of the most prominent societies in history. His book sheds light on the moral dilemmas that plagued the Roman Republic and highlights the complex interplay between competition, self-control, and the broader political context. It is a valuable contribution to the study of ancient history and provides valuable insights into the dynamics of power and governance in ancient societies.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197662663