Tacitus, Roman Emperors, & Despotism with UCLA’s Ronald Mellor

This week on The Learning Curve, guest co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson interview UCLA’s classical historian, Prof. Ronald Mellor. Dr. Mellor delves into the enduring influence of Tacitus, the great Roman historian, on both America’s Founding Fathers and contemporary understanding of politics and government. He discusses Tacitus's insights on the early Roman emperors, unchecked authority, moral judgment of leadership, and the decline of the Roman Republic, as well as ancient lessons for modern governance. Prof. Mellor closes with a reading from his book, Tacitus.