August 9, 16, 23, 30
Open
Meeting # 3,830+ contact the Program Coordinator Charles Paidock if you would like to speak at (312) 842-5036, (312) 714-7790 cell, or cpaidock@hotmail.com
August 2
A Republic, If You Can Keep It:
Useful Lessons from the Decline and Fall of the Roman Republic
Meetings # 3,829 - John Engle |
Description:
Few civilizations in history have earned more attention than ancient Rome. The very thought of it conjures images of the emperors whose portraits and statuary fill museums and whose reigns have provided endless fodder for film, television, and popular histories. Yet the story of Rome began nearly seven hundred years before the first emperor was born. Unfortunately, modern audiences tend to be rather hazy about the details of this pre-imperial period. All too often, Rome’s centuries-long history before the emperors is treated as little more than a prelude to the real action. This presentation aims to correct this error by shining a light on the Rome that came before, the Roman Republic (from res publica, “the public thing” or “commonwealth”), a Rome that was not ruled by a single man with absolute power, but rather governed by elected magistrates and democratic assemblies of citizens. It will explore how history's first true republic came to be, how it grew to be a world superpower, how its republican system gave way to tyrannical one-man rule—and what its contemporary successor, the American Republic, can do to avoid a similar fate.
Biography:
John C. Engle is a political strategist, communications consultant, and policy analyst. He currently serves as chief strategist at Purpose Brand, a strategic communications firm, and senior fellow of the New Hegemony Institute, a policy think tank focused on geopolitics and grand strategy. In his spare time, he serves as vice president of the League of Women Voters of Chicago.
