I was surprised to find Caesar’s Ghost at my door again, and on a holiday morning. “Happy Thanksgiving, Dictator!” I said. Hail, professor. Caesar looked perplexed. I asked what ailed him. I do not understand this Thanksgiving of yours. In Rome, we had Thanskgiving too, and we called it supplicatio. But it was not an annual event. We saved Thanksgiving …

With the Euro taking up fewer headlines this week, I didn’t expect to hear from Caesar’s Ghost. But the dictator came knocking on my door. Hail, professor! Hail, Caesar! What brings you here? The sweet smell of empire. Willy-nilly, the Germans are getting used to the idea that they have one and they like it. Now they merely have to …

It was a bad week for powerful men. Joe Paterno was fired as football coach at Penn State, Papandreou stepped down as Greek Prime Minister, and finally, Silvio Berlusconi resigned as Italian Prime Minister. Knowing, as I do, how little respect Caesar had for those who gave up power voluntarily, I summoned up his ghost once again. Hail, Caesar! Are …