I have never been to Rome. I would like to go there one day and launch my campaign to subjugate the world from the very heart of the city. Or just visit. I hear they have good gelato.
In my quest for power, I look up to powerful leaders. I found the best examples in the Caesars. Not only are they paradigms for current rule and control, but they are great examples for how to get to rule.
In 2006 I caught part of an episode of HBO's excellent show Rome. I hadn't seen the show before, but I had always been interested. This sort of show is my bread and butter but I never caught the start. I had by chance caught the 8th episode of the first series. Caesar, I assumed, by the strength of Ciaran Hinds' performance alone who else could it have been, and James Purefoy's Antony, I assumed, played a scene that perfectly expressed who was who and what was going on. Caesar makes a brash military decision and is questioned by his lieutenant. When reminded that Caesar could have some hubris in his plan, he calmly responds, "It's only hubris if I fail." What was left unsaid was "... and I never fail." That moment of TV-dom struck me as the standard to measure rulers against. I could also imagine Caesar saying that very thing as well. Well, in Latin, at least.
Remember that. Hubris only comes when I fail. And if that impossible situation were to happen, I have an heir eager for power and perfectly capable of rectifying any mistakes I made during my fall.
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