23. The Valerian Gens Part 1
Continuing the Ancient City Series, Gregory examines House Valerius — Rome's oldest patrician family and the architects of Roman liberty. From the founding oath sworn over Lucretia's body to the Lex Valeria (Rome's first right of citizen appeal), the Valerii built their power by publicly surrendering it. Gregory profiles Publicola, who demolished his own house to prove he wasn't a tyrant, and Corvus, who ended a military mutiny through amnesty rather than punishment. The episode argues that the Valerian method — converting power into trust through visible self-restraint — is the root technology of classical liberalism, and explores both its remarkable 500-year run and the limits that ultimately made it obsolete.
