After the Hannibalic war, the leading military role of consulars diminished, though it did not disappear. A significant number of consuls kept their imperium as proconsuls, but only a very small minority held the consulship again. A number of them held intermediate positions as military tribunes or military legates under the command of magistrates with imperium. Consulars played a leading role in international diplomacy and the organisation of newly conquered territories as members of senatorial embassies, especially in the Greek world. Ex-consuls were also common as heads of commissions in charge of implementing the agrarian policy promoted by the Senate during the second century BCE, both for the foundation of Roman and Latin colonies and for the individual distribution of land. The censorship became the coveted culmination of a political career for many consulars. The Senate was the arena in which consulars assumed a leading role in political debate. In contrast, their intervention in popular assemblies was rare. As in previous periods, many consulars were members of priestly colleges. While most of them entered the colleges (long) before they became consuls, others did so at an advanced age after their consulship.

The durability of democracy among modern political systems is based on its ability to provide for its own self-enforcement without recourse to outside compulsion (North, Summerhill, and Weingast 2000; Przeworski 1991). Recourse to outside enforcement is always dangerous because loss of self-restraint by that authority raises the dilemma of “who guards the guardians” (Hurwicz 2008), and holds out the possibility of dictatorship.

Superconductivity is a quantum state of matter that occurs through a phase transition driven by thermal fluctuations. In this state, materials show ideal electric conductivity and ideal diamagnetism to a very good approximation. Two main classes of superconductors, type I and type II, can be distinguished with regards to flux penetration under an applied magnetic field. The properties of these two types are first discussed in detail. Next, the Ginzburg–Landau theory is developed and it is shown that in the presence of a magnetic field, when the ratio of penetration and coherence lengths is smaller than 1⁄√2 the superconductor behaves as type I, while it behaves as type II when this ratio is larger than 1⁄√2. In this second case, the flux penetrates through vortices that form a hexagonal lattice. Finally, in the last part, the microscopic BCS theory is discussed in order to provide an understanding of the physical origin of superconductivity.

In Africa and other low-income regions, the modal result of the interplay between incumbents and opposition has been the resilience of very imperfect democracies or electoral autocracies, and not a broad trend of backsliding. This represents a puzzle, since low-income states with few long-standing democratic traditions have been generally viewed as the most vulnerable to autocratization. This chapter offers some tentative hypotheses for this apparent stability, focusing on the relationship between state capacity and democracy, and disaggregating them into their different components. Institutions of vertical accountability can generally exist (or in some cases flourish) with limited state capacity. These include formal political participation, such as elections and voting, which is often incentivized and subsidized by the international community, or citizen and civil society actions that are made possible by freedom of association and freedom of the press, which do not rely on state capacity. On the other hand, the consolidation of political institutions that advance horizontal accountability will be constrained by deficient state capacity. Judicial independence and legislative power as well as other independent checks on the executive branch of government will typically be more undermined by low capacity than the incumbent regime itself.

Following democracy’s global advance in the late twentieth century, recent patterns of democratic “backsliding” have generated extensive scholarly debate. Since backsliding towards autocracy is often the work of elected leaders operating within democratic institutions, it challenges conventional thinking about democratic consolidation, the enforcement of institutional checks and balances, and the reproduction of democratic norms. Drawing insights from classic literature on democratic transitions and consolidation, this volume examines the nature of contemporary threats to democracy, recognizing that the central challenge is not always to induce the compliance of those who lose elections, but rather those who emerge victorious and turn the institutional leverage of incumbency into a source of ongoing competitive advantage. There is, then, both a “loser’s dilemma” and a “winner’s dilemma” embedded in the study of democratic resiliency. Patterns of backsliding have revealed the contingent and potentially contested underpinnings of democratic institutions in any political order, given the presence (whether latent or active) of authoritarian political and cultural currents. Democracy is, therefore, best understood not as a standardized regime template or a static endpoint of political development, but rather as a dialectical frontier that advances ‒ and sometimes recedes ‒ according to the dynamic interplay countervailing forces.

Brief interventions are quick, targeted interventions to support individuals to change their health behaviour and reduce future disease risk. Brief interventions are delivered opportunistically in a consultation often initiated for other reasons, and can be as short as 30 seconds. Brief interventions differ from longer and more complex interventions such as health coaching, motivational interviewing, or cognitive behavioural therapies. Brief interventions are effective and cost-effective for smoking cessation, reducing hazardous drinking, weight loss in obesity, and increasing physical activity. Brief interventions typically involve asking about the behaviour, advising on the best way to change it, and assisting by providing or referring to support. Brief interventions can be enhanced by using conversational strategies that avoid stigmatising, create hope and self-efficacy, and facilitate referral or treatment. Brief interventions can be used across a range of health behaviours, such as harmful substance use, using screening tools, and referral to more intensive treatment where necessary. Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is a UK health campaign that aims to use every interaction in healthcare settings to support behaviour change, drawing on motivational interviewing techniques.

Urbanisation has significant health implications, both positive and negative. Cities offer opportunities for public health improvement, but also pose challenges. Climate change and air pollution are major risks to global health, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. Integrating green and blue spaces into urban environments can enhance mental and physical health. Inclusive urban design encourages outdoor activities and reduces environmental pollutants. Promoting active travel and reducing reliance on motor vehicles improves public health. The concept of planetary health emphasises the interconnectedness of human health and the Earth’s natural systems. Social inequalities contribute to uneven health risks, particularly in deprived communities. Rural areas face unique health challenges. A well-designed built environment uplifts spirits and promotes healthy living. Addressing health impacts requires a systems-based approach and long-term resilience planning.

Self-care is a broad concept that refers to the actions taken to preserve or improve health, which can vary depending on the academic literature. A useful framework to understand self-care is the Self-Care Matrix, which consists of four dimensions: activities, behaviours, context, and environment. Self-care activities are the specific practices that promote health, such as physical activity, healthy eating, hygiene, and rational use of health products. Self-care behaviours are the principles and actions that guide positive health behaviours and lifestyle choices. Self-care context is the degree of dependence or independence from external healthcare resources. Self-care environment is the external factor that influences self-care practices within the community. Self-care is closely related to Lifestyle Medicine, which supports individuals in adopting sustainable health practices and prioritises preventive strategies over reactive measures. Lifestyle Medicine and self-care play a crucial role in both primary and secondary prevention of diseases. The future of self-care envisions a healthcare landscape where technology and personalised approaches enhance self-care and Lifestyle Medicine. However, there are also challenges to address, such as potential inequalities and misconceptions that may arise as health systems pivot towards self-care.

Sleep is a dynamic process that is influenced by our daily behaviours and in turn impacts our waking choices. It’s important to understand that healthy sleep involves not just the duration but also the timing and architecture of sleep, which can affect disease risks and outcomes. The regulation of sleep is driven by the sleep homeostat, also known as Process S, and the circadian system, known as Process C. Sleep itself consists of Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stages, each with distinct brain wave patterns and physiological functions. The circadian system, which is governed by sunlight and melatonin, synchronises our body’s clocks and regulates physiological rhythms.

There is variability in individual sleep needs, which are influenced by genetics, and these needs change across the lifespan. Poor-quality sleep is linked to mental health issues, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other pathologies. Common sleep disorders include insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea, with lifestyle interventions being key treatments.

Good sleep health can be promoted through regular schedules, optimal bedroom environments, and managing lifestyle factors. Education and policy changes are needed to address sleep issues.

The goal of any young Roman at the start of his political career was to reach the highest office of the Republic: the consulship. For an aristocratic family the accumulation of consulships over decades and centuries provided an indelible political and symbolic capital which remained forever in their own familial records and imagines maiorum, and which the family wished to be remembered by the Roman citizens for as long as possible. When Lucius Scipio Asiaticus became consul in 83, some fifteen Scipiones had already held the highest office from the fourth century onwards. When in 57 Q. Caecilius Metellus Nepos held the consulship, thirteen Caecilii Metelli had been consuls before him since the third century. The consulship obviously carried enormous prestige, but the office only lasted for one year – regardless of whether it was held again later, or whether the imperium of a consul could be prolonged with a promagistracy. However, the conclusion of the consulship implied becoming a consularis for life – the evidence shows that consulars were only exceptionally expelled from the Senate – which meant that an ex-consul was automatically included among the crème de la crème in the Senate and, therefore, in Roman society.

This chapter examines the relationship between a politicized public sector and democratic backsliding. It is argued that politicization of public employment is an important, if understudied, component of the institutional landscape that makes democracy vulnerable. Bureaucratic politicization increases the likelihood that backsliding becomes endogenous by generating electoral advantages for incumbents and by raising the stakes of control over government. Politicization of the state administration allows incumbents to dole out patronage jobs; introduce political loyalty tests as a precondition for accessing basic government services; press public employees into campaign-related work; and utilize state funds for political purposes. Building on this volume’s aim of untangling the relationship between institutional subversion and backsliding, particular attention is given to the timing and sequencing of these processes. Evidence from Eastern Europe and a global sample shed light on how governments in countries that once seemed to be the front-runners of democratization concentrated political power by extending the economic reach of the state and subverting public sector independence. This study contributes to research on the illiberal political economy that supports backsliding regimes and their capture of key levers of political power.

How did Donald Trump become the preeminent figure in American politics over the past decade, and why has the Democratic Party struggled to extinguish his threat despite his unpopularity and the unpopularity of his policies? The answer lies in an area that liberal political strategists have not focused on and political scientists have neglected: the politics of dominance. While twenty-first-century liberals have focused on offering more attractive policies, illiberal leaders such as Trump have grasped that politics is a dominance competition. “High-dominance” leaders strive to make opinion, embrace us-versus-them framing, double down on provocative statements and positions, stay on the offensive, take risks, and use entertaining, provocative language. “Low-dominance” leaders study polls and tell voters what they think they want to hear, fear “othering” opponents, walk back or qualify controversial statements, play defense, abhor risk, and use bromidic language. Restoring the dominance advantage the Democrats enjoyed at times during the twentieth century is a key to defeating Trumpism.

The chapter is an introduction to basic equilibrium aspects of phase transitions. It starts by reviewing thermodynamics and the thermodynamic description of phase transitions. Next, lattice models, such as the paradigmatic Ising model, are introduced as simple physical models that permit a mechano-statistical study of phase transitions from a more microscopic point of view. It is shown that the Ising model can quite faithfully describe many different systems after suitable interpretation of the lattice variables. Special emphasis is placed on the mean-field concept and the mean-field approximations. The deformable Ising model is then studied as an example that illustrates the interplay of different degrees of freedom. Subsequently, the Landau theory of phase transitions is introduced for continuous and first-order transitions, as well as critical and tricritical behaviour are analysed. Finally, scaling theories and the notion of universality within the framework of the renormalization group are briefly discussed.

This final chapter summarises the book’s substantial contribution to our interpretation of Aristides’ works and figure, as well as to our picture of ancient lyric reception and imperial Greek culture more widely. Besides looking backwards, however, this conclusion also adds some reflections on how the approach developed and deployed in this study may be productively applied to other imperial genres and writers, both pagan and Christian, down to Late Antiquity.