The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic
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- Create Date：2021-06-09 09:54:04
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Mike Duncan
- ISBN：1610397215
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Summary
The Roman Republic was one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of civilization。 After its founding in 509 BCE， Rome grew from an unremarkable Italian city-state to the dominant superpower of the Mediterranean world。 Through it all， the Romans never allowed a single man to seize control of the state。 Every year for four hundred years the annually elected consuls voluntarily handed power to their successors。 Not once did a consul give in to the temptation to grab absolute power and refuse to let it go。 It was a run of political self-denial unmatched in the history of the world。 The disciplined Roman republicans then proceeded to explode out of Italy and conquer a world filled with petty tyrants， barbarian chieftains， and despotic kings。
But the very success of the Republic proved to be its undoing。 The republican system was unable to cope with the vast empire Rome ruled。 Bankrolled by mountains of imperial wealth and without a foreign enemy to keep them united， ambitious Roman leaders began to stray from the republican austerity of their ancestors。 Almost as soon as they had conquered the Mediterranean， Rome would become engulfed in violent political conflicts and civil wars that would destroy the Republic less than a century later。
The Storm Before the Storm tells the story of the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic--the story of the first generation that had to cope with the dangerous new political environment made possible by Rome's unrivaled domination over the known world。 The tumultuous years from 133-80 BCE set the stage for the fall of the Republic。
The Republic faced issues like rising economic inequality， increasing political polarization， the privatization of the military， endemic social and ethnic prejudice， rampant corruption， ongoing military quagmires， and the ruthless ambition and unwillingness of elites to do anything to reform the system in time to save it--a situation that draws many parallels to present-day America。 These issues are among the reasons why the Roman Republic would fall。 And as we all know， those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it。
But the very success of the Republic proved to be its undoing。 The republican system was unable to cope with the vast empire Rome ruled。 Bankrolled by mountains of imperial wealth and without a foreign enemy to keep them united， ambitious Roman leaders began to stray from the republican austerity of their ancestors。 Almost as soon as they had conquered the Mediterranean， Rome would become engulfed in violent political conflicts and civil wars that would destroy the Republic less than a century later。
The Storm Before the Storm tells the story of the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic--the story of the first generation that had to cope with the dangerous new political environment made possible by Rome's unrivaled domination over the known world。 The tumultuous years from 133-80 BCE set the stage for the fall of the Republic。
The Republic faced issues like rising economic inequality， increasing political polarization， the privatization of the military， endemic social and ethnic prejudice， rampant corruption， ongoing military quagmires， and the ruthless ambition and unwillingness of elites to do anything to reform the system in time to save it--a situation that draws many parallels to present-day America。 These issues are among the reasons why the Roman Republic would fall。 And as we all know， those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it。
Reviews
Roy
，
I enjoyed the book very much since it filled a void in my knowledge of Roman history and why Rome weakened for the last 600 years before "the fall"。 I shouldn't use that phrase as it is inaccurate and misleading。 However， the book was too detailed for my interests。 Plus I would have preferred a different narrator。 I listed to Plutarch's Parallel Lives by Charlton Griffon at the same time。 That confirmed that I prefer that an author choose a professional narrator or， in some cases， an actor。 I kn I enjoyed the book very much since it filled a void in my knowledge of Roman history and why Rome weakened for the last 600 years before "the fall"。 I shouldn't use that phrase as it is inaccurate and misleading。 However， the book was too detailed for my interests。 Plus I would have preferred a different narrator。 I listed to Plutarch's Parallel Lives by Charlton Griffon at the same time。 That confirmed that I prefer that an author choose a professional narrator or， in some cases， an actor。 I know that Duncan has an award-winning podcast。 His narration was too clipped for me。 Part of that may be caused by my listened at a little faster speed than normal。 However， for my ear， I much prefer Griffon。 。。。more
Burak Bayrakdar
，
Though I have bought the book， it was impossible to read， for I needed to hear it in audiobook format from illustrious Mike Duncan， as an appendix to his glorious "The History of Rome" podcast。 It is always so heartbreaking to hear that sad tale again: the story of the fall of the Roman Republic， but never have I followed such a well structured & gradually distressing narrative that explained this calamity so well。I hope to get many more books from Mike Duncan on ancient world， and even more po Though I have bought the book， it was impossible to read， for I needed to hear it in audiobook format from illustrious Mike Duncan， as an appendix to his glorious "The History of Rome" podcast。 It is always so heartbreaking to hear that sad tale again: the story of the fall of the Roman Republic， but never have I followed such a well structured & gradually distressing narrative that explained this calamity so well。I hope to get many more books from Mike Duncan on ancient world， and even more podcasts！ 。。。more
Amber Ray
，
This book made it very clear to me that the Roman Republic didn't just vanish， that the reasons it failed were deep seated， serious， and long running。 Slavery was a huge part in the economic woes of the Republic--why pay a poor man to work when you own the man and the profits？ This meant the poor periodically needed doles of land and grain to compensate for the lack of economic opportunities。 Also a serious problem was the problem of small landowners who were called up by the army and then could This book made it very clear to me that the Roman Republic didn't just vanish， that the reasons it failed were deep seated， serious， and long running。 Slavery was a huge part in the economic woes of the Republic--why pay a poor man to work when you own the man and the profits？ This meant the poor periodically needed doles of land and grain to compensate for the lack of economic opportunities。 Also a serious problem was the problem of small landowners who were called up by the army and then couldn't tend their holdings and make a living--they usually ended up bankrupt and having to sell to the huge landowners。。。and then falling into poverty themselves。This is a complicated but fascinating book。 Curse all those Roman names ending in -ius as they tend to sound so similar！ 。。。more
Dave J
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Made about 5% on this on before I gave up on this one。。。 I suggest reading SPQR instead。
Zaphirenia
，
This is why when people ask "If you could choose to live in another era， when would you choose to live？" I immediately answer "I am very comfortable with this era， thank you very much"。 Because today you can listen to a podcast （in this case the podcast "Revolutions" by Mike Duncan） that I could have never had access to otherwise from this small corner in the world， and then discover a great book like this。 So now I got to enjoy a fine historical read and support one of the best podcasters I kno This is why when people ask "If you could choose to live in another era， when would you choose to live？" I immediately answer "I am very comfortable with this era， thank you very much"。 Because today you can listen to a podcast （in this case the podcast "Revolutions" by Mike Duncan） that I could have never had access to otherwise from this small corner in the world， and then discover a great book like this。 So now I got to enjoy a fine historical read and support one of the best podcasters I know of。 And I even got to enjoy it in audio， just as I would listen to one of his podcasts。 Well， there's also the possibility that as a woman I would not exactly thrive if I lived even 100 years ago， but that's another story。Mike Duncan knows his Roman history for sure。 The book is a very well narrated story of the failings of the Roman Republic which led to the rise of the Roman Empire。 It starts with the efforts of the Gracchi brothers up to the death of dictaror Sulla and the rise of the first Roman emperor Augustus。 It is very fun and educational， very far from dry historic books full of details which are very hard to digest and process。 。。。more
James Minnigh
，
An amazing book covering the period of the Roman Republic from the Gracchi Brothers up to Sulla。 Mike Duncan does an excellent job of showing the state of the Republic and the events that eventually would set the stage for its downfall。 An entertaining read。 If you are into history or especially Roman history I would highly recommend this book。
Anup
，
Brilliant account of 70-80 years of tumultuous history and towering personalities from one of my most favorite history podcasters。 Anyone with even the smallest interest in Roman or ancient history should give this a try。
Charlotte Falkner
，
I am absolutely sure this book is well-researched and would be fascinating for those interested in Roman culture and history。 Even though I prefer nonfiction like this， I couldn't finish the book。 It was so detailed I just kept feeling like I was climbing the Matterhorn。 I am absolutely sure this book is well-researched and would be fascinating for those interested in Roman culture and history。 Even though I prefer nonfiction like this， I couldn't finish the book。 It was so detailed I just kept feeling like I was climbing the Matterhorn。 。。。more
Progers500
，
Excellent！
Alisa
，
This is a very informative book about the events that contributed to the fall of the Roman Republic。 However， it is so heavily packed with dates， names， and titles that it was a little difficult to keep track。 I tried both the printed and the audio version to see which format would be easier to follow。 I will have to come back to this book in the future。
Kara
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No one does narrative history like Mike Duncan。 Highly recommend this and his podcasts。
Daniel Murphy
，
Warning: History Content！Good narrative history here， similar to Tom Holland in the way that he tells it。 Mike Duncan is only an okay writer， but he's great at taking the sources and making a story out of it。 This is all the content that I wish History of Rome had， but he was too new at podcasting when he covered this period and it missed a lot of the details that he dives into on the regular now。 Warning: History Content！Good narrative history here， similar to Tom Holland in the way that he tells it。 Mike Duncan is only an okay writer， but he's great at taking the sources and making a story out of it。 This is all the content that I wish History of Rome had， but he was too new at podcasting when he covered this period and it missed a lot of the details that he dives into on the regular now。 。。。more
Cheryl
，
Gives you a remarkably creepy feeling about our current situation。
Edmund Trehy
，
Contains the same quality content and accurate narration I would expect from Duncan
dr_set
，
Very interesting historic account of the violence spiral that took down the Roman Republic。 I'm Amazed that I wasn't familiar with names such as Marius and Sulla， men that were the example that inspired Julius Cesar and accomplished just as much or even more and didn't get killed in the process。This accounts reads like a moral cautionary tale against resorting to violence to achieve political goals disrespecting your opponents and trampling over the law。 For generations， the most powerful men of Very interesting historic account of the violence spiral that took down the Roman Republic。 I'm Amazed that I wasn't familiar with names such as Marius and Sulla， men that were the example that inspired Julius Cesar and accomplished just as much or even more and didn't get killed in the process。This accounts reads like a moral cautionary tale against resorting to violence to achieve political goals disrespecting your opponents and trampling over the law。 For generations， the most powerful men of Rome went down a slippery slope of ever increasing violence fighting for power over the Republic。 Most of them ended death or in exile and even those who didn't had to endure immense amounts of suffering along with their families and friends。This is the kind of history that should be taught in schools。 。。。more
Amy Williams
，
Extraordinarily well written account of the history of the Roman Empire。 If you read one book about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire， let this be the one。
Michael T
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The name says it all。 🤷🏻♂️
Sally
，
Listened to the audiobook and enjoyed it。 It probably helps to know a bit about the period before reading （or listening to） this one。
Jonathan Grant
，
It's essentially an expanded and rewritten version of what Mike did in History of Rome， but super interesting， and it was great getting a bit more detail。 It's essentially an expanded and rewritten version of what Mike did in History of Rome， but super interesting， and it was great getting a bit more detail。 。。。more
Hippocleides
，
An excellent introduction to the oft-neglected beginning of the crisis of the Roman Republic， from the fall of Carthage to the bloody dictatorship of Sulla。 Mike Duncan's matter-of-fact podcasting style serves him well here， it seems。 An excellent introduction to the oft-neglected beginning of the crisis of the Roman Republic， from the fall of Carthage to the bloody dictatorship of Sulla。 Mike Duncan's matter-of-fact podcasting style serves him well here， it seems。 。。。more
Andy
，
This is a great introduction and overview of the Roman Republic。 It covers a long period of time and doesn't go into great depth， so it's unlikely those who're well read on the Republic will learn anything new， however it's an ideal read for someone like myself who up until now has concentrated on the period of Empire rather than the Republic that preceded it。 Although most casual readers of Roman history - I know enough to bore people at parties who know nothing about the history of Rome but am This is a great introduction and overview of the Roman Republic。 It covers a long period of time and doesn't go into great depth， so it's unlikely those who're well read on the Republic will learn anything new， however it's an ideal read for someone like myself who up until now has concentrated on the period of Empire rather than the Republic that preceded it。 Although most casual readers of Roman history - I know enough to bore people at parties who know nothing about the history of Rome but am decidedly not an expert - tend to gravitate towards Julius Caesar and the Emperors that followed him， the Republic is a fascinating period of history and this book gives you great pointers on the people and events you should read about if you want to go into more depth。 。。。more
Brianne Roth
，
Great summary of the decline of the Roman Republic into the Imperial Era。 Once again this is a time I knew remarkably little about。 （It turns out there is quite a lot of history out there！） This book was not too long and the author writes in an easy conversational tone。 I hadn't really thought about it going in， but the parallels to our current era are notable， including the importance of social norms and the chaos that results when they are ignored and the rise of populism/mob rule due to socia Great summary of the decline of the Roman Republic into the Imperial Era。 Once again this is a time I knew remarkably little about。 （It turns out there is quite a lot of history out there！） This book was not too long and the author writes in an easy conversational tone。 I hadn't really thought about it going in， but the parallels to our current era are notable， including the importance of social norms and the chaos that results when they are ignored and the rise of populism/mob rule due to social inequality and questions of citizenship。 The author also had a lengthy podcast series called the History of Rome which I plan to listen to。 。。。more
Jake
，
A great read for anyone looking for a simple and fun way to get deeper into Republican Rome。 Covers an era often overshadowed by the events preceding it （Caeser and co。） Anyone familiar with Mike Duncan's fantastic podcasts will enjoy this bit of pop-history。 A great read for anyone looking for a simple and fun way to get deeper into Republican Rome。 Covers an era often overshadowed by the events preceding it （Caeser and co。） Anyone familiar with Mike Duncan's fantastic podcasts will enjoy this bit of pop-history。 。。。more
Samuel Dole
，
A well researched and examination on an oft overlooked time period on Roman history。
Geoff Wolf
，
A view on a less covered area of Roman history。 It gives insight into our own times， ominously。
Peter
，
Roman history is so extensive that it can be pretty intimidating， which is why I was drawn to this book that focuses on the last century or so of the Roman republic。 Even so， this book feels like a crash course in a particularly tumultuous time in Rome。 Having read this， I feel prepared to dig in to more in depth biographies of Marius and Sulla。In the introduction， Duncan notes that some people may be drawn to this era of Rome searching for some parallels to our own time。 While there are certain Roman history is so extensive that it can be pretty intimidating， which is why I was drawn to this book that focuses on the last century or so of the Roman republic。 Even so， this book feels like a crash course in a particularly tumultuous time in Rome。 Having read this， I feel prepared to dig in to more in depth biographies of Marius and Sulla。In the introduction， Duncan notes that some people may be drawn to this era of Rome searching for some parallels to our own time。 While there are certainly some familiar issues that Rome was dealing with， Duncan provides enough context to events that drawing easy comparisons are appropriately difficult。 。。。more
Larkin H
，
Mike Duncan's incredible podcast is a must-listen for those interested in Roman history and so it is not surprising that his book is a good read on the period leading up to Julius Caesar。 He doesn't explicitly draw lines to the modern United States but the reader can easily start to form them。 Duncan does a great job outlining the leaders of the period's lack of respect for precedent and time honored tradition。 It is interesting to see the threads between declining republics as Duncan outlines h Mike Duncan's incredible podcast is a must-listen for those interested in Roman history and so it is not surprising that his book is a good read on the period leading up to Julius Caesar。 He doesn't explicitly draw lines to the modern United States but the reader can easily start to form them。 Duncan does a great job outlining the leaders of the period's lack of respect for precedent and time honored tradition。 It is interesting to see the threads between declining republics as Duncan outlines how republicanism ultimately fell to social-populism。。。the "mob" is not a modern feature。 。。。more
Eric Michel
，
Well written。 Good and important topic。
Darren
，
Deep and rich history: a long and insightful book that details the fall of the Roman Republic。 （Following the events that led to Julius Caesar's dictatorship and the birth of the Roman Empire）。Notable names include: Tiberius Gracchus; Gaius Marius; Lucius Cornelius Sulla; Pompey the Great; Marcus Licinius Crassus; Marcus Cicero; Gaius Julius Caesar。 Deep and rich history: a long and insightful book that details the fall of the Roman Republic。 （Following the events that led to Julius Caesar's dictatorship and the birth of the Roman Empire）。Notable names include: Tiberius Gracchus; Gaius Marius; Lucius Cornelius Sulla; Pompey the Great; Marcus Licinius Crassus; Marcus Cicero; Gaius Julius Caesar。 。。。more
Abe Smith
，