A dual biography of Julius Caesar and Cato the Younger that offers a dire warning: republics collapse when partisanship overrides the common good.
In Uncommon Wrath, historian Josiah Osgood tells the story of how the political rivalry between Julius Caesar and Marcus Cato precipitated the end of the Roman Republic. As the champions of two dominant but distinct visions for Rome, Caesar and Cato each represented qualities that had made the Republic strong, but their ideological differences entrenched into enmity and mutual fear. The intensity of their collective factions became a tribal divide, hampering their ability to make good decisions and undermining democratic government. The men’s toxic polarity meant that despite their shared devotion to the Republic, they pushed it into civil war.
Deeply researched and compellingly told, Uncommon Wrath is a groundbreaking biography of two men whose hatred for each other destroyed the world they loved.
Download and start listening now!
Uncommon Wrath is a riveting re-telling of the violent end of the Roman Republic. By restoring Cato to the center of the story, Osgood reminds us that this symbol of old-fashioned virtue was not just a myth, but a leader nearly as crafty as his hated rival. Here is a vivid and human-scale account, whose focus on partisanship and political rivalry makes for a resonant and all-too-timely reflection.” —Kyle Harper, author of The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire
—