THE STORM BEFORE THE STORM

Mike Duncan, whose History of Rome series of Podcasts has been downloaded more than 56 million times, gives us the first modern deep-dive into Rome during the years 135-80 BC.

The inspiration and raison d’etre for the book came about through his fans, who constantly asked Duncan where we currently stand on the historical timeline in comparison to Ancient Rome? The answer is the period before the rise of Julius Caesar. It was a time, in Duncan’s words, of rising economic inequality, increasing political polarization, the privatization of the military, endemic social and ethnic prejudice, ongoing military quagmires, and the ruthless ambition and the unwillingness of elites to do anything to reform the system in time to save it. Given these uncanny similarities, it’s remarkable that a lively narrative of this period hasn’t been written about since the 1800s.

Written in Duncan’s signature wry and accessible voice, THE STORM BEFORE THE STORM takes us through the populist era led by the Gracchi Brothers to the non-aristocratic rise of Gaius Marius up to his confrontation with his arch nemesis, the conservative Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Sulla, the first Roman to be made ‘dictator for life’ paved the way for Caesar and the fall of the Republic. Through it all, the age-old lesson is underscored: those who don’t learn history are doomed to repeat it.

Mike Duncan is one of the foremost podcasters in the world. The History of Rome series ended in 2012, yet it remains one of the most popular podcasts on the Internet and can still be found now and again in the top 100 podcasts on iTunes. His current series, Revolutions has so far generated 12 million downloads and his informative cartoons, in partnership with illustrator Jason Novack, have been featured in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Awl, and The Morning News. He lives in Wisconsin with his wife and two kids.