War, Law, and Civics: Lessons from the U.S. Capitol’s Ancient Statesmen

In this lecture Brand explains the ongoing relevance of the Capitol’s ancient statesmen. Reliefs such as those of the lawgivers Hammurabi, Moses, Solon, and Justinian, sculptures such as the Peace Monument, and murals such as “Cincinnatus Called from the Plow,” were created to continually instruct their viewers how good citizens should navigate warfare, lawmaking, and civic life. This legacy still instructs Americans today by telling them something about their origins and even more about how they should shape their future.

In addition to being a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Clements Center, he is currently under revision with a press for his book that compares the political convictions and battlefield tactics of ancient Israel and the Roman Republic. He is in the beginning stages of his second project, which will trace the history of citizen armies from Sumer to the Roman Empire. He also teaches courses on ancient history, focusing on the interplay between religion, war, and politics. This includes War & Society in the Ancient Near East, War & Society in the Classical World, and Military History to 1648.