The Taboo Roots Of Imperial Collapse

[Ursus]

Wasn't directed at anyone in particular. I should have spoken up much sooner, but truth be told I was avoiding this latest incarnation of the "ethnic purity" phenomenon. ;-)

[Neos Dionysos]

They had a lot of fun ravaging Asia Minor until Attalus of Pergamum put an end to the party. After that they were corralled into what became known as Galatia and were used as mercenaries from then on.

 

Indeed, though Antiochus I put them in thier place first in 275, (IIRC), where for his actions he received the title 'Soter' or Savior/Protector.

 

The Galatians are a nightmare to understand...

[julieboy]

Has anybody here of Italian descent ever submitted DNA for testing of ethnicity,such as the free testing being offered by National Geographic Magazine,in their study of eugenics?

 

Or, perhaps somebody has known someone of Italian descent who has participated in testing their DNA.

 

Maybe someone has seen some results of DNA tests done on Italians.

 

 

For what its worth Gary on Howard Stern stated one time that his DNA tests showed that he had a small percentage of East Indian in his DNA.

[Lex]

I still hold that the assimilation of barbarian groups into Roman territory only caused long-term problems for the Empire and hastened its disintegration. If one allows former enemies into their own territory then they're looking for trouble. If the Romans kept them out of the borders then they obviously wouldn't have been able to establish a power-base within the Empire. This is obvious.

 

I also think some people here have some idealized concept that the Romans were super-tolerant of other cultures, ethnic groups and races. I think the Romans viewed other peoples according to what they had achieved in comparison to the Romans and Greeks. I get the feeling that the Romans would have regarded the barbarians as especially good for auxiliary cannon-fodder, cheap labour or strong slaves.

 

Compared to the Romans they were physically larger (and maybe stronger) but still lived in mud hovels while the Romans were living in villas made of marble, with running water, toilets and indoor heating. The barbarians and all those in northern or Eastern Europe didn't even have a written language so they didn't qualify as having a civilisation. In comparison to the Romans they were also filthy and probably lagged far behind in personal hygiene wearing filthy rags of animal skins while the Romans were wearing togas. They had failed to invent anything of importance as well and they only had themselves to blame for this. Imagine what the Romans would think of African tribes!

 

So I believe that the Romans would have viewed these people as inferior to them and even when the Germanic peoples became "Romanized" they were still discriminated against and couldn't hold certain positions and even they admitted that they didn't qualify to hold the position of Emperor.

 

I just read "The Last Pagan" by Adrian Murdoch and Julian even refers to the Persians as being "barbarians" and showed little sympathy to their artwork and buildings when he invaded Persia. He razed many of their "barbarian" buildings and monuments to the ground, so I doubt he had much respect for their culture. I suspect that other Romans might have held similar opinions.

Edited July 13, 2006 by Lex