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Ancient and modern

Putin’s emperor complex

14 May 2022

9:00 AM

14 May 2022

9:00 AM

Did Vladimir Putin ever use his infamous ‘historical’ account of Russia-Ukraine relations to consider how Ukrainians might react to his decision to attack them? Clearly not. The Roman historian Tacitus (d. c. ad 120) knew better what history was for.

Tacitus acknowledged that Rome under the tyranny of the emperors had become corrupted.

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