The Romans were probably the strongest believers of the idea that the republic would endure forever. After all, their part of the ancient world had been ruled by a republic for 482 years. They had overthrown their kings and established a complex and delicate system centered around the Senate. At least for the relatively wealthy elite, everything seemed to be going well. They had seemingly found a way to balance the competing interests of a vast region through the institutions of their republic.There was no reason to believe the Roman Republic would not last forever. This is why they proudly referred to their state as the "eternal city." Ottomans inherited the same concept of the "eternal state" from Rome. The political and legal embodiment of this never-ending republic was found in the writings and speeches of Cicero. Though the mechanics were intricate, the essence was simple: citizens bound by law, taking on duties in exchange for rights, together forming the "public thing," the res publica.The republic was something built collectively, something shared. It was precisely for this reason that it endured for centuries, even as it was eventually undone by a twist of fate. For things were not truly so harmonious.Cicero, who embodied the republic in every fiber of his being, who had kept the Senate standing against coup attempts, who had labored in nearly every level of Roman politics, witnessed the fall of the republic. His head was cut off, and the hands that had penned writings, now deemed poisonous, were severed and displayed in the city square.The transition from republic to empire in Rome is a highly educational historical period. The majority of famous Roman figures - Caesar, Augustus, Cicero, Cleopatra, Mark Antony, Brutus, and so on - were contemporaries, people who knew each other. Shakespeare's plays also revolve around this era of Roman history.It is a period I enjoy reading about, one that often comes to mind during r-Republic Day celebrations of Turkey, on October 29. But what happened to the institutions Cicero so zealously guarded and how were they hollowed out? Why did the victorious commander Caesar turn his armies against Rome, contributing to the fall of a republic that was mere decades away from its 500th anniversary?You can imagine that many are asking this question. Especially in the US, amid the deep crisis of democracy the world is going through, this question is frequently raised. In fact, the collapse of all systemic orders, starting with the Late Bronze Age, are being re-examined. The number and influence of those who believe we are going through a similar process of systemic collapse is steadily increasing. This growing interest is a sign of it.A system does not collapse for a single reason. It takes the confluence of many factors. But compared to today, the process by which the Roman Republic gave way to the Roman Empire holds lessons.For one, a republic becomes fragile if it is not inclusive. Roman politics was the domain of the families from which the 100 senators in Romulus' senate were drawn. The common people, the "plebs," had limited participation.As Rome expanded after crushing its eternal rival Carthage (I'll note in passing that this whole saga ended with Hannibal being buried somewhere near the Gebze highway), military spending increased, exacerbating the already unequal social order.It was difficult to pay the soldiers. At a certain point, the soldiers started pledging allegiance to their generals rather than the state. The ever-widening income inequality made the plebs say "enough is enough." They could not organize their own rebellion. The most prestigious families began to mobilize the plebs to crush their rivals, laying the foundations of populism. The mechanism by which Trump draws support from the "common folk" existed in Rome as well.Cicero's republic was one of class domination. The Roman nobles who would later turn on each other knew how to methodically crucify thousands of slaves led by Spartacus, standing united against the rebellion of the oppressed. All roads led to Rome, in part, through such means.The foundation was&nbsp;slave labor: inequality was rampant, the plebs had to join the army for a chance to partake in the opulence and splendor on display, and populist nobles exploited the rebellion of the people for their own interests, polarizing society. When this happens, there is no alternative but the collapse of the republic that was believed to be eternal. This, in essence, is the answer to the question that everyone is curious about.A governing system that is not inclusive and just will eventually crumble. Perhaps this is the true virtue of "the republic." People will always prefer the stability of a dictator&nbsp;to the hypocrisy of a republic that is not on their side. This is why the "eternal city" bestowed the title of "eternal dictator" upon Caesar.Any political current that disregards economic and&nbsp;social justice&nbsp;is anti-republican. Even the most trusted state institutions can be destroyed in a single generation. There are many dictators eager to surf the waves of the people's legitimate rebellion.But the res publica, the "public thing," is older than dictators and any form of government. Perhaps this is the basis of the determination of those who, knowing Cicero or Caesar, choose to side with Spartacus.If the republic rejects being the common possession of all, it will crumble. Defending one's rights is, in fact, defending the republic. A social contract that is not protected by the public can be exploited by many plunderers.

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