I mean, the mimetic nature of the echoes does neatly mirror the way in which all of these creatures take their lead from Trump.

It's got to be Richard III:
"I, that am curtailed of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deformed, unfinished, sent before my time
Into this breathing world scarce half made up,
And that so lamely and unfashionable
That dogs bark at me as I halt by them—"

In his Storm before the Storm, which covers the same period, you can see Duncan re-evaluate his opinion and portray the Senate response to the Gracchi as their attempts to roadblock necessary change in order to protect elite privilege.

I wonder if you've ever read The Realness of Things Past by Greg Anderson? It's an attempt at historical anthropology on the ancient greek polis that gives a sense not exactly the day-to-day reality, but the perspective inside the heads of ancient atticans.

Always excited for the regular "Tarik and Andy talk about cultivating virtue" show.

Can't relate. Loved The Count as a kid and he still loves counting to this day.

I've been imagining a kind of Plutarch-like pairing of Alexander with Elagabalus in that both might best be understood as aesthetes put in positions of political power where they are truly able to exercise their creative vision.

Ever read Cyclonepedia? It's in line with your discussion of weird nonfiction, but (i) an artifact of the mid-2000s War on Terror and (ii) presented as an academic discussion on fossil fuels as a lovecraftian entity engaged in a conspiracy against life.

Blood Meridian.