Why Powerful Men Are Obsessed With the Roman Empire

About this episode

The episode explores why modern leaders idolize figures from the Roman Empire and how this reflects their political ambitions.

Why do powerful men keep idolising the ancient world? From Xi Jinping invoking Thucydides at a US-China summit, to Putin’s “Third Rome,” to Elon Musk posting “America is New Rome,” modern leaders repeatedly reach back to Greece and Rome when talking about power, destiny and empire. Bianca Nobilo explores what leaders’ historical obsessions, like Hitler and Napoleon reveal about them and why ancient figures like Caesar, Augustus, Alexander and Sparta still hold such political and psychological power today. Chronopolitics also comes into play - the political use of the past to legitimise the present and claim authority over the future - because the ancient world can justify almost anything: democracy, empire, conquest, republican virtue, dictatorship, restraint or glory. So the real question isn’t whether leaders read the classics. It’s what they’re trying to authorise through them. What historical figures do YOU notice modern leaders admiring? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Bianca Nobilo

Topics covered

• Roman Empire
• political power
• historical obsession
• leadership
• chronopolitics
• ancient history

Keywords

• Roman Empire
• Xi Jinping
• Putin
• Elon Musk
• Thucydides
• chronopolitics
• leadership
• history
• political power

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Thucydides, Caesar, Augustus, Alexander, Sparta

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