One of these internet free-associative timesinks set me to thinking about Rome of the imperial period, and then of the oft-made observation that the US presidency has metastasized into Caesarism. I considered the earliest Roman emperors (Julius Caesar himself, of course, not being among these, although he laid a fair amount of groundwork for what became the imperial system) and idly wondered how they might, in character and/or career, be mapped onto modern American presidents. I came up with this:

Augustus = FDR (fun fact: Roosevelt’s inner circle referred to their boss among themselves as “Augustus”)

Tiberius = Nixon (capable, ambitious, resentful men, bitter each at having waited so long to reach the top)

Caligula = Bush 43 (coddled, not overbright children of political dynasties)

Claudius = Ford (well-meaning mediocrities who never expected their respective elevations, each installed following the premature removal of his predecessor)

Nero = Well, who else? (fun fact: Nero’s overthrow was followed by a period of civil war)

***

If we were working it otherwise, mapping presidents to emperors, then I suppose I’d incline to pair Obama with Marcus Aurelius and Trump with Commodus on the basis of the obvious parallel to be drawn between the two transitions, a judicious and temperate ruler succeeded by a vicious, impulsive and dissolute one.

cordially,