Research Case: Why Was the Emergency Dictatorship Both a Temporary Kernel That Saved the State and a Dangerous Device That Carried the Risk of Kingship?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 4 1. Question Why was the emergency dictatorship both a temporary kernel that saved the state and a dangerous device that carried the risk of kingship? The Roman Republic in Book 4 of Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation is not a simple state … Read more

Research Case: Why Did the Roman Republic Keep Adding New Institutions such as Censors, Military Tribunes with Consular Power, and Dictators, While Still Fearing the Concentration and Long Duration of Power?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 4 1. Question Why did the Roman Republic keep adding new institutions such as censors, military tribunes with consular power, and dictators, while still fearing the concentration and long duration of power? In Book 4 of Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, Rome has … Read more

Research Case: Why Did the System of Military Tribunes with Consular Power Not Immediately Produce Real Transfer of Power, Even Though It Was a Compromise for Opening Public Office?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 4 1. Question Why did the system of military tribunes with consular power not immediately produce real transfer of power, even though it was a compromise for opening public office? In Book 4 of Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, the common people demand … Read more

Research Case: Why Did the Veto of the Tribune of the Plebs Become Both a Protection Device for the Common People and an Input Blocking Device That Could Stop the State OS?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 4 1. Question Why did the veto of the tribune of the plebs become both a protection device for the common people and an input blocking device that could stop the state OS? In Book 4 of Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, the … Read more

Research Case: Why Did External Threats Unite Rome and Also Intensify Internal Political Conflict?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 4 1. Question Why did external threats become both a force that united Rome and a device that intensified internal political conflict? In Book 4 of Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, external threats appear again and again. Veii, Fidenae, the Volsci, the Aequi, … Read more

Research Case: Why Did Class Boundary, Intermarriage, and Religious Legitimacy Become the Question of Who Could Participate in the Roman OS?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 4 1. Question Why did class boundary, intermarriage, and religious legitimacy become the question of who could participate in the Roman OS? At the beginning of Book 4 of Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, Rome faces a conflict over intermarriage between nobles and … Read more

Research Case: Why Did the Roman Republic Avoid Collapse by Adding Institutions, Adjusting Power, and Self Correcting Its State OS?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 4 1. Question Why did the Roman Republic avoid collapse, even though it faced internal division, external threats, and social crises, by adding institutions, adjusting power, and self correcting its state OS? Rome in Book 4 of Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation is … Read more

Research Case: Why Did Rome’s Strength Come Not from Military Power Alone, but from the Combination of Domestic Order, Liberty, and Alliance Faith?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 3 1. Question Why did Rome’s strength come not from military power alone, but from the combination of domestic order, liberty, and alliance faith? When we read Livy’s Book 3, Rome often appears as a state at war. The Aequi appear.The Volsci appear.Tusculum is attacked.Rome … Read more

Research Case: Why Was Tribunician Power Essential to the Roman OS, Even Though It Had Side Effects?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 3 1. Question Why was tribunician power essential to the Roman OS, even though it had side effects? In Livy’s Book 3, tribunician power often creates friction inside the Roman OS. It can obstruct military levies.It can delay decisions by the Senate or the consuls.It … Read more

Research Case: Why Did an Army That Lost Liberty Become Weak, and Why Did It Become Strong Again after Liberty Was Restored?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 3 1. Question Why did an army that lost liberty become weak, and why did it become strong again after liberty was restored? In Livy’s Book 3, the Roman army loses its fighting spirit under the despotism of the decemvirate. The soldiers still existed.The weapons … Read more