I, like any reasonable modern man, spend much of my day thinking about the Roman Empire.

I’ve just completed Mary Beard’s ‘An Empire Without Limits’, a 5-hour documentary on the rise and fall of Rome. To my delight, and soon to be to yours, I stumbled across an excellent lesson on the importance of writing from a story about Julius Caesar.

Caesar is one of the most famous men in history — having been immortalised through books, plays, movies, and salads (ok, the salad wasn’t named after him, but I’m sure most of the world thinks otherwise).

But few people have heard of his rival Pompey, one of the greatest Roman military minds.

Let me explain why.

Before Caesar became dictator, he and Pompey were carving up countries for the Empire. Pompey won in Africa, Syria, Spain, and Sicily and wiped out a nasty pirate problem too.

Meanwhile, Caesar dominated in Gaul — a region covering much of western Europe.

But despite both their victories, Caesar became one of the most feared and revered men in the Empire, and Pompey — well, Pompey ended unknown and headless.

The difference?

Caesar was a prolific writer. Pompey was not.

When Caesar fought, he would send letters to the senate, sharing stories of the might of his enemy and his prowess at destroying them. By the time he finished his conquests, the military loved him and the senate feared him. He took his army and marched on Rome, and the rest is history.

Now, I’m not suggesting you’ll end up beheaded if you don’t write, but the lesson is just as true today as it was back then:

The person who controls the narrative wins.

The difference is that whilst Caesar wrote letters, you and I have a global platform to broadcast our thoughts.

An audience is like pouring gasoline on the fire of whatever you want to achieve. You won’t die if you don’t write, but you will be left behind. As an entrepreneur, that’s the same thing. You’re in a war for attention, and the internet is just the newest battlefield.

Writers do well because they are the pinnacle of clear and concise communication (it’s much harder to write than ramble on in a short-form video — which is why writing is king).

Now, I don’t share any Roman military strategies in my course High Impact Writing, but I do share systems for creating high-quality content in as little time as possible (including how to create raving fans and repel your haters, much like Caesar).

The course isn’t available to purchase, but version 2.0 arrives in just 5 days.

If you’re don’t the own course yet, you can hop on the waitlist here. There’ll be a few goodies if you’re able to grab it next weekend.

Meanwhile, I shall continue my daily duty of thinking about the Roman Empire.

To your online victories,

Kieran

P.S.

Mary Beard’s book SPQR is excellent, too. Or, if you prefer a fictional retelling of that period, check out Conn Iggulden’s series, Emperor.

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