Perhaps we keep on using the same ancient reference points because we are lazy thinkers with shallow historical knowledge.
A bronze statue of the Roman Emperor Augustus in front of ancient ruins February 25, 2024, Rome, Italy. A bronze statue of the Roman Emperor Augustus in front of ancient ruins Getty Images
Emperor Nero – the last of the Julio-Claudians – has become a shorthand for modern moral profligacy.
When Donald Trump became the first man to be elected both US president and initiated into the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) Hall of Fame, plenty recalled Nero’s equivalent taste for spectacle.
New Statesman
Fetching latest articles
Original URL: https://www.afr.com/world/europe/why-we-re-stuck-in-ancient-rome-20250227-p5lfqq
