The Ancient City, by Fustel de Coulanges

Book 5 Chapter 3: Christianity Changes the Conditions of Government

The rise of Christianity completed the destruction of the social order based on the ancient religion of ancestor worship. In this final chapter of the book, Fustel catalogs the changes in politics, in worship, in law, and in self-understanding that the new religion produced. --- Based on: https://youtu.be/cEx0tT0jHb4

Book 5 Chapter 2: The Roman Conquest

In this long chapter Fustel tells the stages of Rome's conquest of the ancient cities. In every city they conquered, the Romans destroyed whatever remained of the municipal system connected to the old religion. --- Based on: https://youtu.be/4YQKkJTnNPM https://youtu.be/U6IMsJWKbI8 https://youtu.be/mKlhPB8S7BQ https://youtu.be/s-sRs_720QI

Book 5 Chapter 1: New Beliefs. Philosophy Changes the Principles and Rules of Politics.

Book 5, The Municipal Regime Disappears, begins with this chapter on the role philosophy played in social change. With Anaxagoras and others came new ideas of divinity, and new principles and rules for political life. --- Based on: https://youtu.be/78LOM37iv0s

Book 4 Chapter 13: Revolutions of Sparta

Book 4 ends with Fustel's account of the path Sparta took through oligarchy and democracy. In all of Greece, Sparta was the city most torn by revolutions. --- Based on: https://youtu.be/lYR1_CsZpjM

Book 4 Chapter 12: Rich and Poor. The Democracy Falls. Popular Tyrants.

Democracy and equality made the gap between wealth and poverty more noticeable, without redressing it. The conflict between rich and poor ended in the seizure of property by popular tyrants. --- Based on: https://youtu.be/X71ZKp9eGuk