Research Case: Why were some patricians cold toward the tyranny of the second Decemvirate?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 3 1. Question Why were some patricians cold toward the tyranny of the second Decemvirate? This question examines the tyranny of the second Decemvirate in Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, Book 3. It does not treat the problem only as the problem of … Read more

Research Case: Why did the second Decemvirate move toward overusing and oppressing the plebeians?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 3 1. Question Why did the second Decemvirate move toward overusing and oppressing the plebeians? This question examines the despotization of the second Decemvirate in Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, Book 3, from the side of the plebeians. The second Decemvirate was originally … Read more

Research Case: Why could Appius not foresee that his tyranny would lead to a tragic end?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 3 1. Question Why could Appius not foresee that his tyranny would lead to a tragic end? This question examines the fall of Appius Claudius in Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, Book 3. It does not treat his fall simply as foolishness or … Read more

Research Case: Why could a person like Appius misuse the law?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 3 1. Question Why could a person like Appius misuse the law? This question examines the Decemvirate and the Verginia incident in Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, Book 3. It does not treat the case simply as a legal violation by an evil … Read more

Research Case: Why did Appius place private desire above public authority?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 3 1. Question Why did Appius place private desire above public authority? This question examines the behavior of Appius Claudius in Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, Book 3. It does not treat him simply as a lustful man, an evil person, or a … Read more

Research Case: Why did Appius wear a mask to achieve his purpose?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 3 1. Question Why did Appius wear a mask to achieve his purpose? This question examines the behavior of Appius Claudius in Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, Book 3, not as a simple matter of personality or evil, but from the perspective of … Read more

Research Case: Why did the Decemvirate change from a reform institution into a despotic institution?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 3 1. Question Why did the Decemvirate change from a reform institution into a despotic institution? This question is central to Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, Book 3. The Decemvirate was not created as a despotic institution from the beginning. Originally, the Decemvirate … Read more

Research Case: Why did the second Decemvirate become dangerous after suspending the right of appeal and tribunician power?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 3 1. Question Why did the second Decemvirate become dangerous after suspending the right of appeal and tribunician power? This question examines the Decemvirate problem in Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, Book 3, from the perspective of institutional design. The danger of the … Read more

Research Case: What does it mean that no public office should be created beyond the reach of appeal?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 3 1. Question What does it mean that no public office should be created beyond the reach of appeal? This question concerns the core of freedom in the Roman Republic. Public office requires authority. A state needs people who can command, judge, levy troops, impose … Read more

Research Case: Why does lawmaking power itself need control mechanisms?

A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 3 1. Question Why does lawmaking power itself need control mechanisms? This question does not mean that making law is dangerous in itself. Making law is necessary for stable government. If government depends only on custom, precedent, social status, and the discretion of magistrates, citizens … Read more