School of War Ep 120: Iskander Rehman on the Emperor Tiberius and American Primacy
Apr 23, 2024
Iskander Rehman discusses Emperor Tiberius' military career, drawing parallels with contemporary strategic challenges. Topics include Roman grand strategy, Pentagon funding, Tiberius' leadership, recruitment strategies, military adaptations against Parthia, and the maintenance of spheres of influence.
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Pentagon Funds Applied History For Strategy
- The Office of Net Assessment funds historical strategic studies to inform modern defense by championing deliberate reflection and classical tradition.
- Iskander Rehman used ONA support to analyze Tiberius as an applied-historical case of prudential grand strategy relevant to today's dilemmas.
Author Admits Reliance On Classicists
- Rehman confesses he is not a classicist and relied on experts like Neville Morley and Clifford Ando alongside primary sources.
- He reads Latin slowly, couldn't read Ancient Greek, and leaned on recent classical scholarship to build his strategic analysis.
Tiberius Chose Consolidation Over Conquest
- Tiberius prioritized consolidation over expansion, stabilizing Rome's finances and arresting risky campaigns like further conquest of Germania.
- He favored diplomacy, limited military pressure, and fiscal moderation to maintain Pax Romana without costly new conquests.