No Matter Which Fall You Choose, It’s a Fall: Lessons from Rome for Our Modern Age
History often whispers warnings, and sometimes it shouts them. Looking back at the fall of both the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, we see these two seismic events as powerful mirrors for our own time. Each represents a different way a society can unravel: one through violent ideological struggles from within, the other through gradual decay, complacency, and the loss of cohesive values. No matter which fall you choose, it’s a fall—a descent from greatness that offers us crucial lessons, warnings, and perhaps, if we’re wise, a way to avert our own societal collapse.
As we compare these two pivotal points in Rome’s history, it becomes apparent that both paths—ideological warfare and moral decay—threaten us today. While we lack the literal “barbarians at the gates,” the forces undermining our modern societies bear a chilling resemblance to those that once shook Rome to its core. The stakes are high, and the parallels are impossible to ignore.
The Fall of the Roman Republic: Ideological Strife and Power Struggles
The late Roman Republic was a time of tremendous upheaval, where Rome’s long-standing social order began to unravel under the weight of competing ideologies, power struggles, and the ambition of charismatic leaders. The Senate, once a bastion of Roman political stability, became increasingly divided as powerful figures like Julius Caesar and Pompey exploited popular dissatisfaction to pursue their ambitions. Rome’s foundational values—its Republican virtues of duty, loyalty, and restraint—crumbled under the weight of personal ambition, populism, and a growing rift between the elite and the common citizen.
This is the story of a society tearing itself apart from the inside, of leaders weaponising ideologies for personal gain and leading the people into cycles of civil war and chaos. Like the late Republic, our modern age is marked by fierce ideological divisions, populism, and an erosion of respect for political institutions. The rule of law, mutual respect among different groups, and faith in governance have all frayed under the pressures of tribalism and ideological polarisation. If we’re not careful, we risk the same fate: a descent into authoritarianism as people seek stability amidst ideological chaos.
The Fall of the Roman Empire: Decay, Complacency, and Foreign Influence
Centuries after the fall of the Republic, the Roman Empire faced a different kind of collapse—one marked less by internal ideological conflict than by a creeping decay of moral, social, and cultural values. Rome’s famed discipline gave way to decadence, its unity to fragmentation. By the 5th century, the Empire had become a shadow of its former self, plagued by economic strain, overstretched borders, and a populace disinterested in the duties of citizenship. Instead of reforming, Romans in power indulged in personal luxury, entertained by “bread and circuses” as the foundations of society rotted beneath them.
It wasn’t the swords of the Visigoths that brought Rome to its knees; it was the complacency and moral erosion of its own people. Today, many see a similar decay in the West. Wealth inequality has risen to extremes, and with it, a kind of modern “bread and circuses” culture: consumerism, instant gratification, and a media landscape focused more on sensationalism than on meaningful discourse. As the West prioritises short-term gains over long-term resilience, many worry we’re following in the footsteps of Rome’s slow collapse.
"Barbarians at the Gates," Then and Now
In both periods of Rome’s fall, we see the metaphorical barbarians at the gates. For the Republic, the barbarians were internal: the rising populists, demagogues, and power-hungry elites who were willing to dismantle the Republic to achieve their ends. In the later Empire, they took a more literal form—tribes and invaders who, taking advantage of Rome’s weakened state, pushed through its porous borders.
Today, the “barbarians” are less easily identified but no less impactful. They come in the form of ideological radicals, movements that reject foundational values, and internal factions that erode social cohesion. Economic pressure, mass migrations, and external influences likewise stretch the fabric of nations, while declining birth rates and moral relativism mirror Rome’s slow population decline and loss of shared values.
Tyrannical Emperors and the Modern Western Elite
Rome’s shift from Republic to Empire brought with it a new kind of ruler: the emperor. Often despotic, these emperors wielded almost unchecked power over their subjects, and many used it for personal gain rather than the public good. From the notorious Caligula and Nero to Domitian, the list of tyrannical emperors who indulged their whims at the expense of Rome’s wellbeing is long. For them, the people were an abstract concept at best, their lives existing only to serve the state and, by extension, the emperor’s power.
In many ways, the modern Western elite mirrors the emperors in their disregard for the people they ostensibly serve. While today’s elites lack the title of "emperor," their influence is immense—through multinational corporations, media empires, and political institutions, they shape public opinion, control wealth, and influence policy. Much like Rome’s emperors, today’s elites often appear disconnected from the realities of the average citizen’s life. Their interests are global and self-serving, and decisions that enrich them often come at the cost of working-class stability and national sovereignty.
Wealth consolidation, political favouritism, and technocratic dominance make it difficult for the average citizen to affect meaningful change. Just as the Roman emperors exploited their position for personal indulgence, today’s elites often prioritise their own wealth and influence, detached from the concerns of the very people who sustain their power. The absence of accountability and the erosion of democratic principles under such influence are troubling parallels to Rome’s imperial tyranny.
The Chasm Between the Plebeians and the Aristocracy
In the days of both the Republic and the Empire, Rome was sharply divided between the aristocracy and the plebeians, with an ever-widening chasm between the elite and the commoner. The aristocracy controlled wealth, land, and power, while the plebeians—the common folk—struggled to make ends meet, subject to taxes, military drafts, and the whims of the powerful. The plebeians’ interests were rarely represented, their voices seldom heard. Riots, protests, and occasional revolts became common as the gap between Rome’s elite and its people widened.
This chasm is alarmingly familiar today. Across the Western world, we see the rise of a new aristocracy: a wealthy elite who control the media, finance, and political systems, growing richer and more powerful while the middle and working classes stagnate or decline. Just as Rome’s elites dismissed the needs of the plebeians, today’s elite often dismiss the frustrations of working-class citizens as misguided, backwards, or irrelevant. This divide fuels resentment, distrust, and a breakdown in social cohesion—a pattern that plagued Rome and may well plague us.
The rise of populist movements and political protests around the world can be seen as echoes of the plebeian outcry against Rome’s elite. History shows us that societies divided by class resentment and distrust of leadership are vulnerable to instability. When the common citizen no longer feels represented by their rulers, they begin to question the legitimacy of the system itself. For Rome, this led to cycles of rebellion and civil strife; for us, it could spell a similar destabilisation.
Eternal Debt and the New Slavery of Work
In Rome, slavery was a brutal reality. Enslaved people laboured endlessly with no hope of escape, bound to a life of servitude to serve the aristocracy’s comforts and wealth. Many of these enslaved people worked the lands of the wealthy, generating immense profit for their masters while reaping none of the rewards. Although today’s Western societies have abolished slavery, an analogous system of economic bondage has emerged in the form of endless debt and wage slavery.
Modern workers, especially those in lower-income brackets, are caught in what seems like an unbreakable cycle of work and debt. Wages have stagnated for decades, even as the cost of living has soared. Many workers labour in jobs with little security, few benefits, and no path to financial freedom. For countless people, debt—from student loans to mortgages to credit cards—is an inescapable part of life, binding them to work for decades just to stay afloat. Like the slaves of ancient Rome, modern workers produce wealth they rarely enjoy, as the lion’s share of their productivity is funnelled to the top.
The parallel here is haunting: a vast population trapped in servitude to fuel the wealth and comfort of an elite few. Just as Roman slaves had no say in their fate, today’s indebted workers find themselves constrained by forces beyond their control—trapped in a system that demands constant labour with little prospect of genuine financial freedom.
Lessons for Today: Avoiding a Choice Between Two Falls
The parallels are striking, but our fate is not yet sealed. The twin lessons of the Roman Republic and Empire offer us two stark warnings: that societies can fall from within through ideological warfare and societal division, or they can fall slowly, through complacency and moral decline. Both paths end in collapse, but there are choices we can make now that could set us on a different trajectory.
Renew Commitment to Foundational Values
Rome thrived when its citizens embraced shared values of duty, loyalty, and community. We must recognise and recommit to the principles that uphold our societies, resisting the divisive forces that push us toward tribalism and moral relativism.
Strengthen Institutions and Rule of Law
During the Republic, respect for the rule of law kept Roman society stable. When it declined, so did Rome’s stability. If we want to avoid their fate, we need to protect our institutions, uphold justice, and prevent any one ideology from dominating our political and social landscape.
Focus on Long-Term Resilience
Rome’s later Empire suffered because it prioritised short-term pleasure over long-term sustainability. We must balance the present with a vision for the future, making decisions that will ensure stability and prosperity for generations to come.
Whether through ideological collapse or moral decay, Rome’s lessons show us that there is no easy way out once a society heads down the road of decline. Both the fall of the Republic and the Empire show us that we cannot choose sides in the debate about the causes of decline: the hard truth is that both routes lead to the same end. History’s verdict is clear, and we would do well to heed its warnings.
After all, no matter which fall you choose, it’s a fall. And once the descent begins, the climb back up is often lost to history.