The review of Józef Maria Ruszar’s book Słońce republiki. Cywilizacja rzymska w twórczości Zbigniewa Herberta (2014) [Sun of the republic. Roman civilisation in Zbigniew Herbert’s work]. The author of the review emphasises that Ruszar convincingly inscribed Herbert’s fascination with antiquity (especially Roman antiquity) in the whole historiosophical reflection of the poet. The conviction about the progressive disintegration of the structures of civilization and society was closely related in Herbert’s writing with the sustained defence of Roman virtus. However, the thesis that in his poetic work Herbert was disputing with the programme and ideology of the literary modernism is perceived by the reviewer as questionable.