Men can’t seem to stop thinking about the Roman Empire – or at least that’s what the latest social media craze suggests.Exceed Viewed by 1 billion people A TikTok video with the hashtag #RomanEmpire encourages women to ask the men in their lives how often they think about the subject — and it’s surprising how often. Elon Musk recently declined to comment on a viral conversation and even recently tweeted about the “late civilization atmosphere.” If this is true (and men aren’t just peer pressured to exaggerate how often they think about this subject), there’s probably a good reason for this.
First, the legacy of the Roman Empire is embedded in our politics, architecture, education, language and law. From the Capitol to the military, America has Roman heritage as its foundation. You may not keep track of the multiple references you see every day and the ubiquity of Latin words in everyday speech (just look up the etymology of most words you can think of), but your subconscious mind will.However, there is nothing new in this, back to The founding of America itself.
What is new is the confluence of crises that Western men face today (another word with Latin roots) and the many ways in which they express their pain. The world is in turmoil, and people alive today are disturbed because most of them have only experienced the most peaceful and prosperous eras in history. Adam Tooze, an economic historian at Columbia University, has been arguing since before and after Russia invaded Ukraine that “multiple crises“” is sweeping the world economy, a dynamic in which different shocks add to each other to create something greater and deeper than any one shock. Or, in the words of popular 1990s novelist Tom Clancy, the sum total of all fears.
For men, life in the 2020s can feel like the world has suddenly turned against them. Multiple crises of masculinity explain the rise of figures like Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson -“men’s rights activist“ They often cite ancient philosophy to gain respect.In times of tension Interviewed by BBC In June, for example, Tate defended himself by saying he taught young people “Stoicism” – an ancient philosophy that emphasizes discipline over the pursuit of pleasure.
In addition to his search for respectability, Tate surfed the rising tide. Stoicism is making a comeback—and has been for several years. From discussions among Silicon Valley elites to podcasts and newsletters, schools of thought that once flourished in ancient Greece and Rome have been enjoying a renaissance in recent years. The pandemic has exacerbated this.
Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius was a truly stoic man whose popularity was always on the rise.In recent years, his meditation Has become a bestseller. The Roman emperor’s ideas of duty, rejection of a lavish lifestyle, and remaining calm in the face of the uncontrollable have unsurprisingly appealed to a wide range of modern readers struggling with anxiety in a rapidly changing world.
In 2012, the publisher sold 16,000 copies of this classic. In 2019, this number increased to more than 100,000 copies.Penguin Random House says this growth continues into 2020 Tell guardian.
This not only involves reflection caused by the epidemic, but also involves economics. Although boys have lagged behind women for more than a decade since the Great Recession, the gap has become increasingly clear.No less an observer of the zeitgeist Richard ReevesA senior fellow at the Brookings Institution last year passed “boys and men”. (Prior to this, he had a huge hit with 2017’sdream hoarder. “) Although atlantic organizationHanna Rosin got there earlier, and the 2012 aply was named “The end of masculinity (and the rise of femininity)”.
Research consistently shows that men respond poorly to status loss.Research from Newcastle upon Tyne University in 2005 found that men who experienced downward mobility Four times more likely Suffering from depression – Although women are twice as likely to experience a decline in their standard of living, they do not experience the same decline in happiness.
Compared to these uncertain times, Roman times seem real ProsperityA Second-rate for males of the species.
The Roman Empire didn’t invent patriarchy, but it did codify it into law. landowner is a legal status that gives the patriarch authority over the family and its property, two status-conferring privileges that contemporary men take for granted but may never achieve.Wealthy Roman citizens also had slaves (also from latin), they received all-round care landowner.Although slavery in ancient Rome was not established along racial lines, precedent was adopted in the American antebellum South Justify the rights of slave owners the labor of their “families”. Today’s backlash against diversity and inclusion efforts can also be seen in this light: the third leg of masculine status being chopped off.
However, fantasy about Roman civilization misses a crucial point: it set us on the path to the modern world.By regulating ancient traditions, Roman law Gradually restricted the power of the patriarch.
Roman legal concepts good father of the familyor loving fatherFrom Spain to Canada, negligence became the benchmark for reasonable and diligent conduct when courts sought to establish negligence. Status (and gender) no longer matter. What matters is the behavior: is it a known behavior? good family father?this has become required standard of carewhich goes to show that we may not think of the Roman Empire often, but it is all around us.
In times of crisis, competence is crucial, but what we get instead is misogyny, anger and poor mental health. No wonder men are clamoring for more time with their families—perhaps the most effective solution to these dilemmas. The number of stay-at-home dads is on the rise—a phenomenon previously limited to sharp economic downturns.
Today, men crave answers, purpose, and family. If this is unachievable, we can foresee worse scenarios than fantasies about past empires.
Mohamed El Aassar is Fortune magazine’s Opinions Editor.
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