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<p>[QUOTE="DonnaML, post: 4285194, member: 110350"]Aren't there any Emperors you do like or admire? Not even the so-called Five Good Emperors? I do understand, by the way, your negative view of the Empire itself, and I'm sure there will always be a debate about whether its overall effect on the European and Near Eastern worlds, and the history of civilization in general, was a net positive or negative.</p><p><br /></p><p>Of course, a lot of the flaws you mention had their origin in the military successes of the Republic and its increasing dependence on the spoils of conquest. Not to mention that a lot of ancient Roman rhetoric about lost Republican virtues and sturdy farmers was probably based on "good old days" nostalgia and romanticization as much as historical fact. And, after all, the early history of the Republic, and the overthrow of the kings, is shrouded in mystery and myth, and largely devoid of archaeological evidence. Nobody even really knows if any of the listed kings of Rome were actual historical figures. There's far more extra-biblical evidence for the historical existence of most of the "Kings" named in the Hebrew Bible (at least from Omri going forward) than there is independent evidence for the kings of Rome. Or for the earliest Republican consuls, given that most of the early Republican history we read is based on accounts and inscriptions written long after the fact. (For a good overall history from the 35,000-foot level, I really liked Mary Beard's book from a few years ago. I wish it had gone into more detail in a lot of places, but I understand that if the author had done so, the book would have been a couple of thousand pages long!)[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="DonnaML, post: 4285194, member: 110350"]Aren't there any Emperors you do like or admire? Not even the so-called Five Good Emperors? I do understand, by the way, your negative view of the Empire itself, and I'm sure there will always be a debate about whether its overall effect on the European and Near Eastern worlds, and the history of civilization in general, was a net positive or negative. Of course, a lot of the flaws you mention had their origin in the military successes of the Republic and its increasing dependence on the spoils of conquest. Not to mention that a lot of ancient Roman rhetoric about lost Republican virtues and sturdy farmers was probably based on "good old days" nostalgia and romanticization as much as historical fact. And, after all, the early history of the Republic, and the overthrow of the kings, is shrouded in mystery and myth, and largely devoid of archaeological evidence. Nobody even really knows if any of the listed kings of Rome were actual historical figures. There's far more extra-biblical evidence for the historical existence of most of the "Kings" named in the Hebrew Bible (at least from Omri going forward) than there is independent evidence for the kings of Rome. Or for the earliest Republican consuls, given that most of the early Republican history we read is based on accounts and inscriptions written long after the fact. (For a good overall history from the 35,000-foot level, I really liked Mary Beard's book from a few years ago. I wish it had gone into more detail in a lot of places, but I understand that if the author had done so, the book would have been a couple of thousand pages long!)[/QUOTE]
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The (massive) many faces of Herakles thread&Manliest/Godliest bro to dress likea lady
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