How often do you think about the Roman empire? Elon Musk claims to think about it every day. Given his frequent references to Roman antiquity, I think we can take him at his word.
From airing his views on the fall of the Roman empire (demographic decline) to expressing his desire to see a “modern-day Sulla”, Musk’s views on ancient Rome demand our attention. Sulla, by the way, was the notorious first-century BC dictator who had hundreds of his political opponents murdered.
On January 20 at a rally to mark the inauguration of Donald Trump for his second term as president, Musk acknowledged the crowd: “I just want to say thank you, for making it happen. Thank you.” He then put his right hand over his heart before extending his arm, elbow-straight, at a roughly 45-degree angle, with palm outstretched and facing down. He then turned around to face the audience behind the stage to repeat the gesture.
