Nations rise and nations fall, as do their governments. Today, some people say the United States and its treasured republican virtues stand at a crossroads.

But how can you tell? Are we dealing with the mere panic of the moment, or something worth panicking about?

To help us get a grip on what’s going on, we’re going to reach into the past, today, to see if history is repeating or just rhyming.

Joining us to help us get a grip—and we could probably all use to get grip right about now—is Patrick Wyman.

Wyman is the host of the Tides of History podcast, which looks at moments when the world changed, including recent examinations of the world’s first farmers and the effects of plague on the Roman world.

• Recorded on 10/2/20
• What defines a Republic anyway?
• The Res publica
• “Don’t quote laws to men with swords”
• How the Roman republic worked
• A contract with the gods
• How the grain dole worked
• The private sector
• Why it’s so hard to maintain a Republic
• How cynicism degrades the political system

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