Performance and politics on the calendar.
Nestled between the Aventine and Palatine hills of Rome, the Circus Maximus was once the site of races, gladiatorial battles, theater, and ceremonies. It was the entertainment center of the world. Politicians sought to expand their reputations with spectacle, and if recent happenings on Capitol Hill are any indication, that tradition is alive and well in Washington, DC.
Send in the Clowns!
President Donald Trump’s nominees for Cabinet positions surely feel what it was like to be the main act in the Circo Massimo as they engage in verbal battle, jockeying for their new jobs. But like in Rome in ancient days, the pomp and circumstance, the bloodletting, was not for the glory of the gladiator but rather for those who hosted the event. And this proves just as true today.
This last…
