Classical musing
by Charlotte Higgins
Your mob, my populus
In the mid-1st century BC, Rome’s republican constitution, which had served the city well for hundreds of years, was coming under strain. The people’s assembly voted military leaders such as Pompey exceptional powers, overturning traditional checks and balances, often because of real or imagined threats from foreign powers. This febrile, violent period eventually resolved into strong-man rule under Augustus. For history enthusiasts, it is one of the most fascinating going—providing thrilling material for Rubicon, a novelistic history of the period by Tom Holland, and a trio of historical novels by Robert Harris.