These days, my mind is in classical antiquity — focused on the last days of the Archidamian War. And when I am not thinking about Athens’ success at Pylos and Sparta’s at Amphipolis, I am teaching Greek History or a seminar on Plato’s Laws or (horribile dictu!) I am grading papers and exams.

So I did not hear about the firing of James Comey until I read an email this morning — sent by a former student who, having worked for years at the Department of Justice, is now retired. Here is what he told me:

Based on a career spent working with the FBI as a Justice Dep’t lawyer, and on the reasons that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein gave in this memo, I believe firing James Comey as FBI Director was the right thing to do. A lot of folks would’ve cheered if DAG Sally Yates and President Barack Obama had done this last July or October – as perhaps they should’ve. If you use history in your analysis, try setting aside Richard Nixon’s Saturday Night Massacre. Go back a bit further, to an equally controversial firing: President Harry S. Truman’s removal of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. Both Mr. Comey and Gen. MacArthur sought to usurp powers that our laws give somebody else. Both refused to back away from their improper assertions. Both had to go. Comey’s firing is just the latest shift in the balance between DOJ and the FBI. Just as our gov’t rests on civilian control of the military, our law enforcement agencies are subject to the prosecution decisions of local, state, and federal gov’t lawyers. All are in turn subject to the courts. And it is long-standing, written DOJ policy that the FBI does not decide who is (or is not) to be prosecuted. Nor is the Bureau to speak to the press about DOJ’s exercise of its prosecutorial discretion, unless authorized by DOJ. Comey repeatedly broke those rules, and has repeatedly refused to admit his mistakes. The questions of DOJ’s timing and good faith have, I believe, one basic answer: Rod Rosenstein, the new Deputy Attorney General. Over the years, I’d heard from quite a few DOJ lawyers whom I know and trust who believe that there is not a more honest, scrupulous, and dedicated lawyer in the Dep’t. So when the Senate confirmed Mr. Rosenstein as DAG, the DOJ-FBI relationship, as exemplified by Mr. Comey’s recent conduct, had to be on top of his in-box. My guess is that he just did his job and dealt with the problem. I still respect, and in many ways like, Mr. Comey. He did many good things. In the last year, though, he went astray. Worse, he opened himself up to being removed by Donald Trump, about whom I have the gravest doubts. But those doubts don’t poison my view of Mr. Rosenstein. Not yet, anyway – further developments could show that I’m completely wrong. But I don’t think so. I firmly believe that if an investigation shows that anyone – pro-Clinton, pro-Trump, pro-Russian, you name it – should be charged, convicted, and imprisoned, this guy will do it. If you think you can break rules and get away with it, take another look at his memo. Or at his conviction record.

If my friend and former student is right (and he knows the protocols), the story here is fairly simple. Rosenstein was put in charge. Comey’s conduct was egregious. And after he had conducted a thorough investigation, on his recommendation, the President dumped Comey.

I voted for Donald Trump in November while holding my nose. I am not a partisan who hangs on his every word. But the question to be posed is whether we want a rogue FBI director. The office is now and has always been a problem. The individual holding it is subject to very great temptations. They led J. Edgar Hoover astray. They also led James Comey astray. I am confident that, if Hillary Clinton had been elected President, she would have dumped him, too — and the same argument would have been made. Whatever Trump’s motives may be and whatever Mrs. Clinton’s would have been matters less than the question whether it is proper for someone who is director of the FBI to act as James Comey did.