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Class Struggle in the Roman Republic
In the first complete Marxist history of the Roman Republic, Alan Woods provides a gripping and accessible analysis of the titanic struggles that shaped the Roman world, and continue to resonate today.
Spanning more than a thousand years of development, the book delves into the fundamental processes which gave rise to the emergence of Rome as an imperial power, the crisis of the Late Republic and the rise of the Caesars. It also features additional material by the author on the eventual decline of the Roman Empire and the Marxist theory of the state.
This book offers a treasure trove of history and theory for any reader.
Spanning more than a thousand years of development, the book delves into the fundamental processes which gave rise to the emergence of Rome as an imperial power, the crisis of the Late Republic and the rise of the Caesars. It also features additional material by the author on the eventual decline of the Roman Empire and the Marxist theory of the state.
This book offers a treasure trove of history and theory for any reader.
280 pages, Paperback
First published December 22, 2009
7 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Alan Woods
72 books129 followersAlan Woods is a Trotskyist political theorist. He is one of the leading members of the British group Socialist Appeal as well as its parent group, the International Marxist Tendency (IMT). He is political editor of the IMT's In Defence of Marxism website.
Woods supported the Militant tendency within the UK Labour Party until the early 1990s, when he and Ted Grant were expelled from the tendency and founded the Committee for a Marxist International (soon renamed International Marxist Tendency) in 1992. They continued with the policy of entryism into the Labour Party.
Woods has been particularly vocal in his support for the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela, and has repeatedly met with the socialist Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, leading to speculation he was a close political adviser.
Woods supported the Militant tendency within the UK Labour Party until the early 1990s, when he and Ted Grant were expelled from the tendency and founded the Committee for a Marxist International (soon renamed International Marxist Tendency) in 1992. They continued with the policy of entryism into the Labour Party.
Woods has been particularly vocal in his support for the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela, and has repeatedly met with the socialist Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, leading to speculation he was a close political adviser.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 1, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
(I only give this 4 stars because 5 is for the very best)
An excellent overview of the history of the Roman Republic from an all-encompassing i.e. marxist point of view. It’s also a page-turner!
To give an idea of the impression this had on me: I read this on vacation. I’ve been visiting some of the most beautiful places in France for a week now, but I couldn’t stop thinking about this book. Whenever I was in the bus, when I was tired from walking and needed to sit, when I got back to the hostel at night - I would take out this book and read it.
The first few chapters are more analytical. They explain correctly and very clearly the class basis of the early Republic and the different class forces in play.
Then the struggle starts accelerating as social inequality rises, and the independt peasantry (which forms the bulk of the army) gets ruined, in the first period by debt. You have the appearance of an absolutely amazing event in the history of the class struggle : the secessio plebeis, AKA 80% of the population just gets the hell out of Rome and camps outside for a few days. It’s like a kind of general strike.
Then the ruling patricians do a deal with the plebs, but this only pushes the problem further back because you have the formation of a nobility composed of both patricians and rich plebeians. The poor masses get played.
Especially that with the military successes of Rome, the Republic grabs a lot of land which falls into the hands of the rich. There is an important turning point after the war with Carthage and the campaigns in Spain: whole defeated populations get taken as slaves and the rich start using slave-labour intensively on their new huge tracts of land.
At this point the contradictions between the slaves and the slave owners, but also the proletarian and the rich, just become too acute. You have the first slave revolts, which are extremely inspiring. Then, the Revolt of the Grachii brothers - how badass are these two? Tiberius Gracchus, who came from a rich patrician family, betrays his own class to represent the interests of the poor. And when you think it all failed, GAIUS GRACCHUS APPEARS IN THE LEFT CORNER WITH A STEEL CHAIR! I won’t spoil you what happens next because it really reads like a political drama novel (or, to go on with the analogy, a wrestling match between the different factions).
But the Grachii are nothing compared to the revolt of Spartacus. His ever-growing army marches through the entirety of Italy, collecting more and more slaves who escaped their life of misery. The masters’ army tries to crush them but fail again and again! The slaves have nothing to lose but their chains. They are tragically defeated in the end but they fight to the death. With their immense bravery, defiance of death and profound hatred for injustice and exploitation, they live on in the memory of the movement.
Their is also the fascinating (and violent) episode of the rise of military adventurers like Marius and Sulla, which is only the prelude for the fierce power struggle between the Senate, Cantaline, Crassus, Pompey, and, of course, Caesar.
Here the book truly shines in showing that this is not, or not only, a question of skilled and audacious individuals, but a question of a system in decay that was looking for a way out but couldn’t find it. The social basis of the Republic (the small peasant-soldier) had disappeared with the rise of slavery, but neither the slaves, nor the destitute rabble of the cities, were able to overthrow the Republic. It led a phantom existence and, to defend itself against its own population, it had to rely more and more on its army, which had then become a mercenary army. In these conditions, powerful generals and dictators were sure to appear. Some of them, like Caesar, just had a bit more political acumen, nerve and ruthlessness - and also luck, because a good gambler is always lucky.
As is known, Caesar gets stabbed and there is a civil war for succession. With the victory of Octavian and his eventual rise to the status of Emperor, the Republic is officially dead.
If it isn’t obvious from this review, I found the story to be exhilarating. I think this is the biggest strength of the book. It brings to mind powerful images of the class struggle, and gives us great examples of brave revolutionary fighters to follow. We sometimes forget, but these people, the Romans, especially the everyday Romans, the slaves and the poor, DID live, and they DID fight for better conditions. We aren’t much different.
I would’ve appreciated a bit more theoretical expositions here and there. If I compare this book to Alan Woods’ masterpiece, Bolshevism, The Road to Revolution, I find that the latter has more theoretical asides which made the book especially educational and extremely memorable. Then again, it is very difficult to achieve this without breaking the flow of the narration. Also, the ancient Roman struggles are a bit less directly relevant for today than the story of the Bolsheviks. In this context, it is quite acceptable to paint a broader picture.
It would’ve also been interesting if Woods engaged a bit more in detail with more recent historical research. He essentially uses classical historical texts about the Republic (Gibbons, Mommsen and even Plutarch), which is fine but doesn’t allow to go into the contemporary debates about this period. There is however a bit of a polemic with the dominant postmodernist trends in academia, which deny that the Empire’s fall was really a regression and try to embellish the "transition" to the Barbarian kingdoms. I quite liked this part, but was looking out for more. Surely, this would’ve pushed the book a bit further into theory, maybe a bit too far from its goal of giving a general overview of the period.
All in all, this book made a strong impression on me. I read it quickly because I just couldn’t stop! I will probably return to it to really internalize the political and theoretical lessons, which is always a good sign.
Another tour de force by Alan Woods
(I only give this 4 stars because 5 is for the very best)
An excellent overview of the history of the Roman Republic from an all-encompassing i.e. marxist point of view. It’s also a page-turner!
To give an idea of the impression this had on me: I read this on vacation. I’ve been visiting some of the most beautiful places in France for a week now, but I couldn’t stop thinking about this book. Whenever I was in the bus, when I was tired from walking and needed to sit, when I got back to the hostel at night - I would take out this book and read it.
The first few chapters are more analytical. They explain correctly and very clearly the class basis of the early Republic and the different class forces in play.
Then the struggle starts accelerating as social inequality rises, and the independt peasantry (which forms the bulk of the army) gets ruined, in the first period by debt. You have the appearance of an absolutely amazing event in the history of the class struggle : the secessio plebeis, AKA 80% of the population just gets the hell out of Rome and camps outside for a few days. It’s like a kind of general strike.
Then the ruling patricians do a deal with the plebs, but this only pushes the problem further back because you have the formation of a nobility composed of both patricians and rich plebeians. The poor masses get played.
Especially that with the military successes of Rome, the Republic grabs a lot of land which falls into the hands of the rich. There is an important turning point after the war with Carthage and the campaigns in Spain: whole defeated populations get taken as slaves and the rich start using slave-labour intensively on their new huge tracts of land.
At this point the contradictions between the slaves and the slave owners, but also the proletarian and the rich, just become too acute. You have the first slave revolts, which are extremely inspiring. Then, the Revolt of the Grachii brothers - how badass are these two? Tiberius Gracchus, who came from a rich patrician family, betrays his own class to represent the interests of the poor. And when you think it all failed, GAIUS GRACCHUS APPEARS IN THE LEFT CORNER WITH A STEEL CHAIR! I won’t spoil you what happens next because it really reads like a political drama novel (or, to go on with the analogy, a wrestling match between the different factions).
But the Grachii are nothing compared to the revolt of Spartacus. His ever-growing army marches through the entirety of Italy, collecting more and more slaves who escaped their life of misery. The masters’ army tries to crush them but fail again and again! The slaves have nothing to lose but their chains. They are tragically defeated in the end but they fight to the death. With their immense bravery, defiance of death and profound hatred for injustice and exploitation, they live on in the memory of the movement.
Their is also the fascinating (and violent) episode of the rise of military adventurers like Marius and Sulla, which is only the prelude for the fierce power struggle between the Senate, Cantaline, Crassus, Pompey, and, of course, Caesar.
Here the book truly shines in showing that this is not, or not only, a question of skilled and audacious individuals, but a question of a system in decay that was looking for a way out but couldn’t find it. The social basis of the Republic (the small peasant-soldier) had disappeared with the rise of slavery, but neither the slaves, nor the destitute rabble of the cities, were able to overthrow the Republic. It led a phantom existence and, to defend itself against its own population, it had to rely more and more on its army, which had then become a mercenary army. In these conditions, powerful generals and dictators were sure to appear. Some of them, like Caesar, just had a bit more political acumen, nerve and ruthlessness - and also luck, because a good gambler is always lucky.
As is known, Caesar gets stabbed and there is a civil war for succession. With the victory of Octavian and his eventual rise to the status of Emperor, the Republic is officially dead.
If it isn’t obvious from this review, I found the story to be exhilarating. I think this is the biggest strength of the book. It brings to mind powerful images of the class struggle, and gives us great examples of brave revolutionary fighters to follow. We sometimes forget, but these people, the Romans, especially the everyday Romans, the slaves and the poor, DID live, and they DID fight for better conditions. We aren’t much different.
I would’ve appreciated a bit more theoretical expositions here and there. If I compare this book to Alan Woods’ masterpiece, Bolshevism, The Road to Revolution, I find that the latter has more theoretical asides which made the book especially educational and extremely memorable. Then again, it is very difficult to achieve this without breaking the flow of the narration. Also, the ancient Roman struggles are a bit less directly relevant for today than the story of the Bolsheviks. In this context, it is quite acceptable to paint a broader picture.
It would’ve also been interesting if Woods engaged a bit more in detail with more recent historical research. He essentially uses classical historical texts about the Republic (Gibbons, Mommsen and even Plutarch), which is fine but doesn’t allow to go into the contemporary debates about this period. There is however a bit of a polemic with the dominant postmodernist trends in academia, which deny that the Empire’s fall was really a regression and try to embellish the "transition" to the Barbarian kingdoms. I quite liked this part, but was looking out for more. Surely, this would’ve pushed the book a bit further into theory, maybe a bit too far from its goal of giving a general overview of the period.
All in all, this book made a strong impression on me. I read it quickly because I just couldn’t stop! I will probably return to it to really internalize the political and theoretical lessons, which is always a good sign.
Another tour de force by Alan Woods
July 19, 2023
Great introduction and Marxist analysis of the rise and fall of the Roman Republic and the slave economy that it was based on. There are other books that go into more depth and into more of the drama of ancient Roman life and politics, but no other book explains as clearly or as accurately the whole trajectory of Roman society, and the contradictory forces that determined its history. A definite must read!
September 3, 2023
Coming from a classicist, this is one of the best ressources to understand the economic and political roots of the Roman empire.
June 28, 2024
Läste den här på semestern och kunde inte sluta tänka på den. Jättespännande historiematerialistisk analys av republiken Roms uppgång och fall och de krafter som påverkade historiens ström, och vilka paralleller som kan dras till senare samhällen och idag. ”All hittillsvarande historia är historien om klasskamp”. Fick en helt annan förståelse för Romarriket (sen behöver jag verkligen diskutera den för att fatta allt men det är en annan femma).
Och som plus, historiens människor - Spartacus, bröderna Gracchi, även Caesar - blev till kött och blod. Spartacus för övrigt - ”Antikens främsta”, som Marx skrev - en förrymd slav som organiserar en slavarmé och tar sig an sina forna herrar, världens största imperium, inte för att dö en hedervärd död utan för att VINNA. Och länge går det dessutom bra. Fick gåshud. Så bra! Läs!
Och som plus, historiens människor - Spartacus, bröderna Gracchi, även Caesar - blev till kött och blod. Spartacus för övrigt - ”Antikens främsta”, som Marx skrev - en förrymd slav som organiserar en slavarmé och tar sig an sina forna herrar, världens största imperium, inte för att dö en hedervärd död utan för att VINNA. Och länge går det dessutom bra. Fick gåshud. Så bra! Läs!
September 12, 2023
Just finished this excellent book. Vital lessons for revolutionaries today: historical materialism's clarity, the bravery of the Gracchi and Spartacus, the rot within a state, Caesarism/Bonapartism.
Despite taking place centuries ago, there are echoes of the Republic's doomed fate today: ruling class splits, the threat of barbarism, a system drowning in its own contradictions. Our task is to make class society history!
Despite taking place centuries ago, there are echoes of the Republic's doomed fate today: ruling class splits, the threat of barbarism, a system drowning in its own contradictions. Our task is to make class society history!
March 14, 2025
Incredible uncovering of the hidden processes behind the rise and fall of the Republic
May 7, 2025
I read this book in one sitting while going off to college. Probably made me sound weird when I met people because it was all I wanted to talk about. Enjoyable as an entry point into class conflict.
December 2, 2025
The analysis is interesting, but does not take into account the latest developments in the study of Roman History and too often bases its analysis on outdated conceptions of Roman society.
December 10, 2025
Not sure I fully got the hype with this one. Similar to his WW1 book this just felt like a retold history with sarcastic quips and historical context. Maybe it just wasnt for me!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews