I've been trying to figure out ways to explain the classical liberal views of the US Founders. The founders were deeply influenced by Aristotelian logic, the Judeo/Christian world view and the Rise and Collapse of the Roman Republic.
The ancient Roman Kingdom had roots in the Latin and Etruscan civilizations. The kingdom established the Roman Senate as an advisory board in about 753 BC.
In 509 BC, Lucius Junius Brutus led a revolt against King Lucius Tarquinius Superbus and established the Roman Republic led by the Roman Senate.
The Republic suffered numerous wars and internal political strife.. Notably, in 458 BC, the Senate established Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus as a dictator in reaction to a rebellion from the plebians who demanded equality under the law. Cincinnatus stepped down after the troubles subsided.
Some compare George Washington to Cincinnatus because Washington also stepped down after serving at the US president.
The Roman Republic was an oligarchy led by a few powerful rulers. The Republic had a clearly defined class structure with Senators, Patricians and Plebians. Slavery was ubiquitous in the ancient world.
Romans tended consider people outside Rome be barbarians. Romans saw Rome as the epitome of civilization and the rest of the world in varying degrees of savagery.
Some people like to trace the ideology of Conservatism to the Roman Senate. The Roman Senate did not seek radical social change, but was trying to create a class society based on rule of law and that valued public virtue.
It is likely that slave owners in the Southern US were particularly attracted to the class structure of Ancient Rome as it incorporated slavery into every day life.
I find the claim that Conservatism has its roots in Ancient Rome absurd because the people of Ancient Rome faced completely different challenges than the Tories faced in 1831 when they created the Conservative Party.
So, lets return to Ancient Rome.
The Romans held Greek philosophy in high esteem. The Eleatic school of Parmenides was just south of Rome.
The Republic suffered a long string of wars. In the Third Macedonia War (171-168 BC) Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus conquered the Kingdom of Macedonia. The general valued Greek education and not only preserved the library of King Persus, he had his children learn the intricacies of Aristotelian logic and Greek philosophy.
His son Scipio Africanus led Rome to victory against Hannibal and the Carthaginians in 206 BC. The Punic wars established Rome as the premiere power in the Mediterranean.
Many of the ideals of the Roman Republic are found in the writings of Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC). Cicero had traveled to Athens to study at Plato's Academy. Cicero adopted a conciliatory approach to Greek Philosophy. Rather than focusing on the conflicts between the philosophers, he examined the ways in which the arguments of philosophers built upon each other.
Some credit Cicero with creating the Liberal Arts curriculum. The foundation of the liberal arts is grammar, logic and rhetoric. Scholars refer to these foundational subjects as "The Trivium"
Grammar refers to the structure of language. Logic is the structure of ideas and rhetoric is the art of communication. The term "dialectic" referred to logical discourse.
This thing called "liberal arts" education is ideally suited for people living in a free world as it teaches people how to develop and communicate ideas.
I suspect that the Roman Republic would have identified with the term "liberal" and not the term "conservative."
I also contend that the US Founders studied the Liberal Arts and dreamt of a Senate that deliberated over matters of state and that sought to protect the liberty of the people.
Cicero and the Roman Senate are key figures in the Classical Liberal world view.
The Rise of Caesar
Julius Caesar also traveled to Athens for an education in the classics. He applied the ideals of logic to military and political conquest.
Caesar formed a political alliance with Crassus and Pompey to create the First Triumvirate. The Triumvirate sought to gain power through popular appeal.
The Triumvirate might well be considered the first political party.
Between 58 BC and 50 BC, Caesar led the conquest of Gaul which included France and Belgium.
When Crassus died in 53 BC, the Triumvirate fell apart and feuds broke out between Pompey and Caesar which turned into a Civil War.
Pompey ordered Caesar to leave the army. Caesar responded by crossing the Rubicon, conquering Rome and establishing himself as dictator for life.
Caesar invaded Alexandria in 47 BC. Cleopatra VII, the last ruler in the line of Ptolemy, seduced Caesar in an attempt to save her kingdom. She introduced Caesar to Ptolemaic astronomy which became the Julian Calendar.
Back in Rome, several Roman Senators formed a conspiracy and assassinated Julius Caesar on the Ides of March in 44 BC. Many consider this brutal act to be the end of the Roman Republic as the assassination of a popular political figure put the Senate out of favor.
Mark Anthony, who had been opposed to Caesar attempted to establish himself as dictator. Augustus Caesar established himself as emperor ending the Roman Republic.
The Roman Empire
The original leaders of the Roman Empire had learned Aristotelian logic. Like Alexander the Great, Roman Generals applied logic to the question of military conquest. Later emperors lost their interest in philosophy and developed what we might call a Machiavellian world view.
The pattern worked as follows: Roman generals applied logic to the question of military conquest and conquered their enemies. They then applied logic to the question of ruling an empire.
A group that wanted to maintain power would not teach the method they used to gain power lest challengers rose to test their throne.
Teaching the liberal arts fell out of favor. The Romans created a class structure with Rome at the top of society and the people at large struggling below.
The Roman Emperors learned that they could maintain control through popular appeal.
To maintain popular appeal they would do things like have gladiator fights to the death in coliseums.
Public events in which the leader tosses undesirables into a den of lions is extremely popular.
Imagine how popular our government could become if we executed those anti-vaxxers, the January 6th insurrectionists and other deplorables.
The mob loves executions.
If there was a TV show that featured a weekly brutal execution, it would have the highest ratings on the TV schedule.
There is nothing like a good old fashioned public public stoning to invoke populist favor.
Roman Religion
Rome was a polytheist nation. There seems to be some parallel between Roman and Greek Gods. The cult of Caesar held the emperor as a living god.
It appears that Roman Emperors saw religion as tool for controlling the people. The Romans tolerated religions as long as they included the Roman gods in their pantheon.
Romans saw Judaism as a challenge as Jews held that there was but one God that was greater than kings and emperors.
Image Credits
The opening image from Wikicommons shows busts of Julius Caesar, Crassius and Pompey who made up the first Triumvirate that took political control in Rome.
The closing picture shows a bust made in Rome of Cleopatra VII that was made in Rome and is now on display in Berlin.
No doubt that kind of "reality show" would get great ratings. I think HBO did a series on gladiator fighting that was likely popular. Thanks for the history lesson. I went through centuries in mere moments and didn't miss many highlights :)
I admit. I am jumping through the centuries. I am trying to figure out a way to explain to people that our political terminology was turned upside down.
My thesis is that the US Founders had a liberals arts education. They fought a war to liberate the US colonies from the crown. They then applied the liberal arts to the question of liberty and came up with a Constitutionally limited Republic.
Three major influences in the liberal arts world view were Aristotelian Logic, The Roman Republic and Christianity.
Conservatism was created during the French Revolution and adopted by the Tories in the 1830s. The goal of Conservatism was to restore the monarchy.
Modern Conservatism and Modern Liberalism are both traps which were designed to promote economic and political centralization.
I am trying to figure out how to explain to people why our political terminology is backwards.
Unfortunately, what happens in every election cycle is that Conservatives become more and more shrill and more and more convinced that we need to have a Caesar or Napoleon to step in restore the ideals of liberty.