Dream Of Rome

[Pertinax]

the BBC have just screened this programme (first part) ,I hope members of the Forum in the Americas and Australasia will be able to see it at some time .Well made , with a light touch but with proper scholarship-contrasting the nature and desirability of Roman citizenship with the not so desirable modern European "citizenship" .The modern comparison is a very good device for explaining the great differences in administrative management and above all the extent of a a robust and precocious empire wide trade.

Full marks to the BBC for once.

[longbow]

I really enjoyed it,i like Boris he's a daft bugger but he's allright .I thought there was a good variety of scholars from the different European university's and there was even some revelations revealed (to me anyway).What about that archiologist who was doing a dig in the Roman Forum,did he really find Romulus's palace?and that rubbish dump with all the amphora?its huge!

 

Boris's website

Edited January 30, 2006 by longbow

[WotWotius]

I thought the program was great, but does anyone else think that he was scraping the bottom of the barrel for analogies between Rome and the E.U. I mean they are two completly different concepts: Rome had centeralised rule whereas the EU is made up of many countries (often disagreeing); the EU covers all of Europe whereas the Roman Empire only covered half of the continent...

 

Anyway do you see what i mean?

[Princeps]

I only managed to catch the final ten minutes unfortunately. However, I would give Boris 10 out of 10 for stating the bleedin' obvious ("Had Rome conquored Northern Europe the holocaust might not have happened!"). Hopefully they will repeat it on bbc 4 or something.

Edited January 31, 2006 by Princeps

[M. Porcius Cato]

I would give Boris 10 out of 10 for stating the bleedin' obvious ("Had Rome conquored Northern Europe the holocaust might not have happened!").

Not bleeding obvious to me. Why would Roman conquest have prevented the holocaust? Fascism, at least, cut across Roman and non-Roman territories (Spain, Italy, Germany, Japan).

[Princeps]

I would give Boris 10 out of 10 for stating the bleedin' obvious ("Had Rome conquored Northern Europe the holocaust might not have happened!").

Not bleeding obvious to me. Why would Roman conquest have prevented the holocaust? Fascism, at least, cut across Roman and non-Roman territories (Spain, Italy, Germany, Japan).

 

The holocaust might not have happened."

 

Even ommitting that very important part of the sentence, I can think of a few reasons. Being part of the Empire would have prevented the Nazi obsession with Arianism. It would also have (probably) changed the racial composition of modern day Germany, possibly with a lot less Jews.

 

You clearly don't watch enough sci-fi. Even a minor change in the timeline can have massive unforseen consequences. I think pacification of Northern Europe would have been a major change.

[Pertinax]

Glad someone else saw it and enjoyed it -I thought the EU came out looking even worse than usual from the comparisons made.

[WotWotius]

Very true...and if i havn't already said it, isn't Borris great. Despite how he appears, he does actually know what he's talking about as he studied classics and Latin at uni.

[Pertinax]

mm-too much modern Europe this time-but still a worthwhile, intelligent commentary-if you are American or Australasian this will give you a good idea of how non-engaged with Europe many people are.Nothing foolish about Rome though-I liked the Gauls processed to become Roman by removal of body hair at the baths idea very much.