A People's History of Ancient Rome (Pulitzer Prize Nominee)

[Imperialism Inc.]

Of all the People's History books out there (US, American Revolution , and this are the ones I've read some or all of) , this one is my favorite. Truly fascinating


http://www.michaelparenti.org/Caesar.html

Most historians, both ancient and modern, have viewed the Late Republic of Rome through the eyes of its rich nobility. They regard Roman commoners as a parasitic mob, a rabble interested only in bread and circuses. They cast Caesar, who took up the popular cause, as a despot and demagogue, and treat his murder as the outcome of a personal feud or constitutional struggle, devoid of social content. In The Assassination of Julius Caesar, the distinguished author Michael Parenti subjects these assertions of "gentlemen historians" to a bracing critique, and presents us with a compelling story of popular resistance against entrenched power and wealth. Parenti shows that Caesar was only the last in a line of reformers, dating back across the better part of a century, who were murdered by opulent conservatives. Caesar's assassination set in motion a protracted civil war, the demise of a five-hundred-year Republic, and the emergence of an absolutist rule that would prevail over Western Europe for centuries to come.

Parenti reconstructs the social and political context of Caesar's murder, offering fascinating details about Roman society. In these pages we encounter money-driven elections, the struggle for economic democracy, the use of religion as an instrument of social control, the sexual abuse of slaves, and the political use of homophobic attacks. Here is a story of empire and corruption, patriarchs and subordinated women, self-enriching capitalists and plundered provinces, slumlords and urban rioters, death squads and political witchhunts.

The Assassination of Julius Caesar offers a compelling new perspective on an ancient era, one that contains many intriguing parallels to our own times.

[burrowowl]

1. Thanks for the post

I heard him discuss the one on the American Revolution on C-Span a while ago. Very interesting!

[Imperialism Inc.]

3. Oh I didn't mean to suggest that it was the same author.

In fact this isn't a part of the Howard Zinn inspired series but is even better! :)
But Parenti has been on CSPAN as well.

Thanks for the response!

Here are some links with Real Media interviews with Michael

http://www.here-now.org/shows/2003/08/20030827_17.asp (10 minutes)

http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2003/07/20030721_b_main.asp# (50 minutes)


I'm trying to post and follow several threads at once but I would be happy to answer any questions anyone has. (if I can, my copy is on loan to my sister)

Some tidbits:

• Cicero, the great historian, Senator and assassination plotter was a slum lord!
  
• The Grachii brothers were 2 reformer brothers/leaders were assassinated also years earlier (reminds one of the Kennedy brothers)
  
• Cicero , refers to the people as "rabble... a parasitic mob"
  
• Roman Senators were like nobility (from rich families) and were not elected. They very much disliked Caesars efforts to give more power to the representative assembly which had very very little real power before him
  

[BurtWorm]

4. Cicero is revered as a (failed) savior of the republic

but he did more damage to it during his last stint in power... He was like a Bush.

[Imperialism Inc.]

5. And by the way.

He doesn't give Caesar a pass so to speak but he does shed some light on who he really was , instead of looking through the eyes of "gentlemen historians".

The parallels to modern times are almost frightening at times.

[BurtWorm]

6. "The parallels to modern times are almost frightening at times."

One quibble: What do you mean "almost?"

[Imperialism Inc.]

7. Lol. Hell if I know.

That doesn't make much sense does it :)

[jeff30997]

2. Sounds interesting.

I always loved history.