How the poor survived in ancient Rome
Those for whom the welfare state does not provide as much welfare as they would like might care to reflect…
Greek tips on how to beat Iran
In 500 BC, Persia (modern Iran) was the most powerful state in the known world, ruling an area of more…
Is Al Carns rich enough for the Romans?
Some Labour MPs are demanding that Colonel Alistair Carns, a former Royal Marine who served in the military for 24…
How the Romans picked their friends
What a lot of friends Jeffrey Epstein appears to have had! But what did friendship mean to him? Was it…
Why not privatise tax collection?
Twice a year the taxman comes to call, exhibiting all the bossy incompetence one expects from the government machine. Why…
How Romans would have known how to deal with Epstein
To look through Jeffrey Epstein’s curriculum vitae on Google is to be left goggling at how this revolting creature could have…
Where Trump would have stood on Athens vs Sparta
In 416 BC in its war against Sparta, Athens instructed the fleet to break the small island of Melos’ alliance…
Only divine intervention can save Labour
A party that can foretell the future stands a very good chance of success. Given Labour’s record of U-turns, they…
The ancient case for a referendum on assisted dying
One rather hopes the assisted dying bill will be talked out in the House of Lords. We have no say…
What a shame Andrew Tate didn’t live in ancient Greece
Has any public figure of recent memory ever admitted to feeling shame for anything they have said or done? As…
How the ancients anticipated the apocalypse
What with the threat of global warming and nuclear war, the new year might start with a big bang. The…
How the Roman plebs made modern democracy
For otherwise healthy plebs in the Roman world, survival depended on the four ‘Fs’: farming (your sole source of food…
Why does the Latin mass prevail?
The Pope is visiting Lebanon and Turkey. Will anyone be raising the vexed question of the Latin mass and sacraments…
How I bonded with Tom Stoppard over the classics
Many years ago, and well retired, I was working in my study when the phone rang and a voice said:…
What the newspapers reported in ancient Rome
Nero’s personal amphitheatre, recently discovered near the Vatican, was praised to the skies in the ancient Romans’ ‘newspaper’. The historian…
Aristophanes would have loved Zohran Mamdani
Mr Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old elected mayor of New York, who has described the police as ‘racist, anti-queer and a…
The golden thread between Donald Trump and Nero
Donald Trump has knocked down the east wing of the White House and is turning it into his Golden Ballroom.…
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and the ancient struggle with shame
The most extraordinary thing about Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is that he seems to have no sense of shame. That word…
The Romans would have known that AI can’t replace architects
Architects are thrilled about AI, confident that it will take us into an exciting new world at the flick of…
How to succeed, Roman-style
Whatever Prince Andrew has done, the succession to our throne is secure. How envious the Roman emperor Augustus would have…
What did the ancients consider a ‘just war’?
Since the UN does not provide a definition of the ‘just war’, it is interesting to see the ancient take…
Keir Starmer and the ancient question of word vs deed
Sir Keir Starmer said that Britain had come to a fork in the road. As usual, he took it –…
How to create an educational elite
University term has started, and even more students are being taught in even larger classes. But to what end? Education…
What would the Romans have made of Trump’s state visit?
The Roman historian Tacitus commented that the visit of an Armenian king to Rome to clinch a deal in ad…
Cicero’s tips for the Labour party
Labour may be in a bit of a mess, but Cicero (d. 43 bc) has some top tips. ‘Let conscience…
