The delicious hypocrisy at the heart of today’s cancel fraternity is that it is strongly opposed to censorship. Romans grappled with the issue; the historian Tacitus nailed it.
Since the Roman republic sprang from the expulsion of a tyrant-king (509 bc), anti-monarchic views became standard fare in legal and political debate whenever anyone suspected tyranny.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Keep reading with a free trial
Get your first month free when you subscribe. After that it’s just £1 a week for full website and app access. There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.
Offer ends in:
${days} days ${hours} hrs ${minutes} mins ${seconds} secs
Or
Comments
Flash sale:
10 weeks of unlimited digital access for £1
Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.
CLAIM OFFERGet 10 weeks of online and app access for just £1. That's a saving of more than 80% off the usual rate.
Already a subscriber? Log in