Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny

In Mortal Republic, historian Edward Jay Watts examines how the Roman Republic fell into autocracy. For centuries, Rome's governing institutions, parliamentary rules, and political customs enabled negotiation and compromise as the city grew into the Mediterranean's dominant military and political power. By the 130s BC, however, Rome's leaders began using these same tools to pursue personal gain and obstruct opponents. As central authority weakened and dysfunction increased, political disagreements escalated into street violence. This instability set the stage for destructive civil wars and ultimately the imperial reign of Augustus. Watts argues that the Republic's collapse was not inevitable. Rather, it died because Romans who believed it would endure indefinitely allowed it to be destroyed through countless small acts of damage.