Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
We study history for its own sake, or sometimes to escape the grim realities of our present day, but the study of the past is most valuable when we use it to discover how our ancestors dealt with the same problems we struggle with now.
Many observers of the current political landscape like to see the corrosion of American and Western power as akin to the fall of the Roman Republic, with the ascent of similar absolutist figures. Many videos have been produced on the parallels of these times. But here at SAMA we felt it would be more valuable to look five hundred years before this, when the Monarchy first fell and the Republic was established.
The fall has already happened. Focusing on it doesn't help us moving forward. But it might help to look at the historical record and the narratives the Romans told themselves about how republics are worth fighting kings to establish.
Collaborating with my old friend Dev Agarwal on his favorite subject--the history of Rome--we hoped to provide a historical context to our current events and also provide some practical advice of what we as a society should do next.
To support the SAMA channel, become a Patron and make history matter! Patreon: patreon.com/make_history_matter?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
Donate directly to PayPal: paypal.me/NickBarksdale
!!!!!!!!!!Above and beyond all -- visit this link to the gofundme for the family of our dear departed founder Nick Barksdale!!!!!!!!!! gofundme.com/f/support-nick-barksdale-his-family?utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&lang=en_US&attribution_id=sl%3Aea067170-8ddc-43a7-a8ca-1586cefa0a23&ts=1749739157
We study history for its own sake, or sometimes to escape the grim realities of our present day, but the study of the past is most valuable when we use it to discover how our ancestors dealt with the same problems we struggle with now.
Many observers of the current political landscape like to see the corrosion of American and Western power as akin to the fall of the Roman Republic, with the ascent of similar absolutist figures. Many videos have been produced on the parallels of these times. But here at SAMA we felt it would be more valuable to look five hundred years before this, when the Monarchy first fell and the Republic was established.
The fall has already happened. Focusing on it doesn't help us moving forward. But it might help to look at the historical record and the narratives the Romans told themselves about how republics are worth fighting kings to establish.
Collaborating with my old friend Dev Agarwal on his favorite subject--the history of Rome--we hoped to provide a historical context to our current events and also provide some practical advice of what we as a society should do next.
To support the SAMA channel, become a Patron and make history matter! Patreon: patreon.com/make_history_matter?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
Donate directly to PayPal: paypal.me/NickBarksdale
!!!!!!!!!!Above and beyond all -- visit this link to the gofundme for the family of our dear departed founder Nick Barksdale!!!!!!!!!! gofundme.com/f/support-nick-barksdale-his-family?utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&lang=en_US&attribution_id=sl%3Aea067170-8ddc-43a7-a8ca-1586cefa0a23&ts=1749739157
