“No Kings” rallies. “Good Trouble” protests. “Rage against the Regime” uprisings. Those occasions within the first seven months of President Donald Trump’s 2d time period, together with public opinion polls, display that many American citizens are enthusiastic about Trump’s expansive use of govt energy.
Perspectives in this factor incessantly have a partisan slant. Republicans categorical extra fear about presidential energy when Democrats keep watch over the White Space, and vice versa.
However many in each events favor that U.S. political leaders paintings via established channels, slightly than via unconventional movements that can pose demanding situations to the Charter and the guideline of legislation, comparable to mass firings and large-scale deportations.
Greek historian and ethnographer Herodotus lived from about 484 B.C.E. to about 425 B.C.E.
Metropolitan Museum of Artwork/Wikimedia
As a professor of classics, I do know that considerations about authoritarianism return hundreds of years. One early dialogue seems within the paintings of the fifth-century B.C.E. Greek author Herodotus, whose “History” – often referred to as “Histories” – is thought of as the primary nice prose narrative in Western literature.
In it, Herodotus analyzed the Persian invasion of Greece – the defining tournament of his time. To know how Greece, a way smaller energy, accomplished a big victory over Persia, Herodotus explored the character of efficient management, which he noticed as a crucial issue within the battle’s consequence.
A surprising disenchanted
Persia used to be already a limiteless empire when it invaded Greece, a tiny nation made up of unbiased city-states. The Persians anticipated a handy guide a rough and simple victory.
As a substitute, the Greco-Persian Wars lasted over a decade, from 490 to 479 B.C.E. They ended with Greece defeating the Persians – a stunning disenchanted. In consequence, Persia deserted its westward growth, whilst more than a few Greek city-states shaped a tenuous alliance that lasted just about 50 years.
To provide an explanation for this sudden consequence, Herodotus described how Persian and Greek societies advanced ahead of this the most important battle. In his view, the truth that many Greek city-states had consultant governments enabled the Greek victory.
Those methods allowed people to take part in discussing methods and resulted within the Greeks uniting to combat for freedom. As an example, when the Persian fleet used to be headed towards mainland Greece, the Athenian normal Miltiades says, “Never before have we been in such extreme danger. If we give in to the Persians, we will suffer greatly under the tyrant Hippias.”
Herodotus tended to position his political philosophies into the mouths of historic figures comparable to Miltiades. He condensed his ideas about executive into what historians name the “Constitutional Debate,” a fictional dialog amongst 3 actual characters: Persian noblemen named Otanes, Megabazus and Darius.
A fraction from Herodotus’ ‘Histories,’ E book VIII, on papyrus, dated to the early 2d century C.E.
Sackler Library, Oxford/Wikimedia
Persia’s ascent
For hundreds of years previous to invading Greece, Persia have been a small area inhabited by way of more than a few historic Iranian peoples and regulated by way of the neighboring kingdom of Media. Then, in 550 B.C.E., King Cyrus II of Persia overthrew the Medes and expanded Persian territory into what turned into the Achaemenid Empire.
Due to his efficient management and tolerance for the customs of cultures he conquered, historians name him “Cyrus the Great.”
His son and successor, Cambyses, used to be much less a success. He added Egypt to the Persian empire, however in step with Herodotus, Cambyses acted unevenly and cruelly. He desecrated the pharaoh’s tomb, mocked the Egyptians’ gods, and killed their sacred Apis bull. He additionally demanded that Persian judges alternate the regulations in order that he may just marry his personal sisters.
After Cambyses died childless, more than a few factions vied for the Persian throne. Herodotus set his dialogue about selection political methods on this risky length.
The case for democracy
Otanes, the primary speaker within the Constitutional Debate, says “the time has passed for any one man among us to have absolute power.” He recommends that the Persian other folks themselves care for state affairs.
“How can monarchy continue to be our norm, when a monarch can do whatever he wants, with no accountability whatsoever?” Otanes asks. Even worse, a monarch “disrupts the laws,” as Cambyses did.
Otanes favors rule by way of the various, which he calls “isonomia,” that means “equality under the law.” On this device, he explains, politicians are elected and held chargeable for their habits and make selections transparently.
Nowadays, not like Otanes, Republican contributors of Congress seem reluctant to carry Trump chargeable for anything else or make sure that transparency inside the management. Distinguished Democrats, together with U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin and Space Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, are difficult Trump management movements that they view as lawless, comparable to freezing of price range approved by way of Congress.
Do oligarchs know higher?
Otanes’ fellow nobleman, Megabazus, concurs that the Persians will have to abolish monarchy, however he raises considerations about rule by way of the folk.
“The masses are useless – there’s nothing more witless and violent than a crowd,” Megabazus asserts. He believes “commoners” don’t perceive the intricacies of policymaking.
As a substitute, Megabazus suggests oligarchy, or “rule by a few.” Select the most efficient males in Persia and allow them to rule everybody else, he urges, as a result of they “will naturally come up with the best ideas.”
However Megabazus doesn’t give an explanation for who would qualify as “the best men” or who would choose them.
The U.S. has once in a while resembled an oligarchy, with small, elite teams maintaining maximum political energy. As an example, Article 1, Segment 3 of the unique Charter equipped for election of senators by way of state legislators, indirectly by way of the folk. Senators weren’t elected by way of standard vote till the seventeenth Modification handed in 1913.
Extra just lately, Trump has won hundreds of thousands of greenbacks in give a boost to from billionaire tech trade leaders comparable to Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, who hope to persuade antitrust coverage and deregulation. The Division of Govt Potency, headed by way of Musk ahead of he stepped down in Might 2025, is now run by way of younger males with nearly no executive enjoy. DOGE’s cuts to systems comparable to humanitarian support are wreaking havoc around the globe.
What about monarchy?
The 3rd speaker, Darius, sees democracy and oligarchy as similarly mistaken. He issues out that even well-intentioned oligarchs combat amongst themselves as a result of “each wants his own opinion to prevail.” This ends up in hatred and worse, just like the Trump-Musk courting long past bitter.
Slightly, Darius asserts, “using good judgment, a monarch will be a flawless guardian of the people.” He argues that since Persia used to be freed by way of one guy, King Cyrus II, Persians will have to handle their conventional monarchy.
Darius doesn’t give an explanation for how to verify a monarch’s excellent judgment. However his argument wins out. It needed to, since in truth Darius turned into Persia’s subsequent king. Kings, or shahs, dominated Persia – it turned into referred to as Iran in 1935 – till the Iranian Revolution of 1979 eradicated the monarchy and established the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Trump isn’t technically a monarch, however some imagine he acts like one. He and his management have overlooked courtroom orders, preempted the powers of Congress and sought to silence his critics by way of attacking safe unfastened speech.
Protesters raise a banner representing the preamble to the U.S. Charter in downtown Los Angeles all through an anti-Trump demonstration on June 14, 2025.
Mario Tama/Getty Pictures
Classes from Herodotus
Herodotus himself used to be in large part pro-democracy, however his Constitutional Debate doesn’t endorse one type of executive. As a substitute, it highlights rules of fine management. Those come with responsibility, moderation and recognize for “nomos,” a Greek time period encompassing the ideas of customized and legislation.
Herodotus emphasizes: “Formerly great cities have become small, while small cities have become great.” Human fortune adjustments continuously, and Persia’s failure to overcome Greece is only one instance.
Historical past has observed the upward thrust and fall of many international powers. Is the USA subsequent? Herodotus considered the Persian monarchy, whose kings believed their very own authority used to be paramount, because the weak point that resulted in their astounding defeat in 479 B.C.E.
