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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ken Dorney, post: 2780680, member: 76086&quot;]I knew I&#039;d stir up a firestorm with this.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Actually, it does.&nbsp; Maybe not a loss in hindsight, but certainly a change (and that change is absolutely a loss to those that came before).&nbsp; As Oz pointed out Romans of the 4th Century BC were not the same as those in the 2nd Century BC (and all subsequent centuries as well).&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>But it is not the emperors we should be examining.&nbsp; It is the common man and woman.&nbsp; There is ample evidence to illustrate the hierarchy of Romans, from citizens to non-citizens (and of course there was certainly a strict linear difference during different centuries).</p><p><br /></p><p>In the beginning they all wanted the protection and benefits that came along with being &#039;Roman&#039;.&nbsp; But in the end it was something else.&nbsp; It was culture.&nbsp; They were not Romans.&nbsp; They were Celts, Goths, and a huge variety of other identities.&nbsp; They had no real interest in being Roman and they carved out their own kingdoms from what was once a Latin empire.&nbsp; They wanted the benefits of being so (at least during certain times).&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>No, dont call me a racist, I am Irish, and the Romans (while trade existed) never conquered us!</p><p><br /></p><p>Just look at the late empire.&nbsp; Nobody can deny that many of those late emperors were not Roman (well, duh, obviously not), and cant deny that they were nothing other than what they were.&nbsp; Non-Roman conquerers (barbarians if you will) who were simply opportunistic hangers-on to a dying culture.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>And it may indeed be the fault of the Romans themselves.&nbsp; They were very tolerant religiously and culturally.&nbsp; They were very accepting.&nbsp; As long as one sacrificed to the emperor you were golden (that is one reason why Christians had a tough time, they were not tolerant in kind).</p><p><br /></p><p>Ah.&nbsp; I see where people can see me as intolerant, racist, etc.&nbsp; I am not.&nbsp; I am just trying to understand and interpret a dead culture (I am sure many Italians would disagree).&nbsp; In college I studied anthropology, so this topic is of great interest to me.</p><p><br /></p><p>I know many people cant see this idea.&nbsp; They maybe dont have anything to compare it to.&nbsp; There are many modern parallels, examples of which are endless.&nbsp; But that wont change, humanity seems doomed to repeat itself.&nbsp; We just cant learn from the past.</p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, the coins I pointed out to originally show an interesting change. From early on there was a culture of being Roman, the founding and what it meant to them.&nbsp; During the late period it changed to &quot;Restoration of the Happy Times&quot;.&nbsp; Just what do think people think of that?</p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, very tired.&nbsp; Its late, and I am sure some people think I am a racist at this point.&nbsp; Not so.&nbsp; Its a dead culture after all.&nbsp; What harm can come of it?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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