Parenti’s Assassination of Julius Caesar.

Have been relistening Mike Duncan’s History of Rome a while ago and while it’s an excellent story he’s telling, it’s a bit strange how he sticks to the story told by ancient story tellers. Of great men driving history by their ambition, quest for honor, etc, etc. Just kept asking myself “what was the actual driving force here? What were the class antagonisms? Man I wish someone wrote a materialist history of this”.

Turns out the goat himself did. So refreshing to read history analyzed like this, critiquing the childish, idealist, individualist version we’re constantly told by mainstream historians and school books.

Also felt good to get some validation for the instinctual dislike I always had for the likes of Cicero, Cato, etc and the interest I had for the Gracci, Caesar and many of the famous tribunes.