All Roads Lead to . . .? Barry Strauss on Jews vs. Rome, the Fate of Empires and Republics

Three times in ancient history, the Jewish people revolted against the Roman Empire – the end result being genocide, enslavement, exile, and religious oppression. Barry Strauss, the Hoover Institution’s Corliss Page Dean senior fellow and author of the newly released book Jews Vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World’s Mightiest People, discusses what triggered the various uprisings (taxation, free will) and the lessons they offer in current world politics – specifically, how Israel’s friends and foes view the Jewish state. Also discussed: how the American and Roman empires/republics are similar yet different and, on a lighter note, why the entertainment world insists upon an ancient Rome full of mild British accents and good dental hygiene.