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Ancient and modern

Boris wouldn’t be the first to be brought down by a party

22 January 2022

9:00 AM

22 January 2022

9:00 AM

Whatever the result of Sue Gray’s report on ‘gatherings’ in Downing Street, there is a political lesson to be learned: any excuse will do, even a party, when people are out to get you, as the Roman historian Tacitus (AD 56–c.AD 120) well knew.

AD 69: the emperor Vitellius was lying seriously ill when he noticed a mansion with lights ablaze throughout the night.

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