Praetorian Guard

History seems to flow in a loop, seemingly invincible civilizations rising and falling to dust in the blink of an eye, emphasizing how easy it can be to get caught in the unavoidable cycle of political turmoil and economic depression. With Rome, we saw how increasingly futile wars and conquests drained the resources of the empire, until angry mobs were stampeding the streets and the barbarians ransacked the city. In a more recent nation, the Soviet Union, the whole world watched in shock as it…