I know this is a joke/meme, but I sincerely think of the Roman Empire a surprising amount of times. I find myself obsessing over how Roman citizens were living just as complex lives as we are today, or about Marcus Aurelius’ life and philosophy, or about how the Republic fell and became a totalitarian state.
Generally only if something else prompts it. Such as this meme and the news around it, or a game, or a work of fiction referencing it for some reason. It doesn’t come up independently in my head.
I’m currently in a course about the Roman Republic in college, so pretty much every other day.
Not often. I imagine they are just like us, but much more brutal. I am as intrigued by the earlier civilization on the other side of the world. e.g. the approach to war stratrgy/methodology by Sun Tzu to train concubines to march like soldiers. I wonder what’s the acceptable way of doing it today.
I read several pages of the The Daily Stoic…well…daily…so pretty much at least once a day.
Often because I always had an interest in their history.
As a kid I was fascinated by the fact they existed, were so successful and then disappeared.
As an adult reading more details about their society and civilization, it amazes and terrifies me how we are following the same path and mentality. Which means we may very well be on the same path of self destruction. When they were in their glory, they were never aware that they would die out. We are feeling the same way today with total confidence.
2,000 years from now our decedants may see us in the same way we see the Romans today.
That’s definitely how I think about them. In comparison to housing policies or rent issues and what their outcome was… and deep horror at what it means for our potential future.
To be fair history rhymes not repeats but that mostly seems to come from us having better tech and therefore better conditions but the human actions and ideas seem to be annoyingly on repeat.
The only thing that seems to progress is our technology
We are capable of improving and making our technology very very efficient within a short period of time.
However, our mentality, our logic and our behaviours will take many more thousands of years to evolve … the imbalance is like watching a monkey with a machine gun or a grenade.
And evolution, change and the future doesn’t mean things will be rosy either … evolution doesn’t mean better from your perspective or some other person’s perspective … evolution just means change.
We could evolve our civilization into a socially minded mutually beneficial shared utopia … or into a totalitarian model where we divide the species into the powerful served by the weaker ones … or into something more equitable … or something far more terrifying … or we just completely and utterly destroy ourselves and leave no trace of our species or our descendants on the planet.
Only every time this gets asked
All the time! I studied Latin and Classical History for years so it’s a deep interest of mine. I often reminisce about the trip I took to Italy with my Latin class to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Barely at all before this whole “How often do you think a out the Roman Empire” thing popped up
But there is some context that I more often think about that is related.
First: You are now aware of the position of your togue in your mouth.
Diagonies is one that comes up at least once every couple weeks at work, this usually leads to Rome.
Second: You are now manually breathing.
Basically ancient philosophers is a topic that comes up a lot with some of my friends, so Rome comes up in relation to it.
Third: Don’t think of a pink elephant
But in general I’d say before this whole thing it was basically at most once a month.
Sometimes. I don’t get why people idolize it and mourn its fall though, the whole thing seems like it was defined by slavery and murder and domination and is honestly horrifying.
I joked about my wife competing for a job with another candidate by having a gladitorial match. She was like, “Roman Empire again, huh?” and I was like “… fuck.”
At least twice a week, but counting indirectly then even more.
Edit: Oh the empire? A lot less. Late Republic club unite.
Fairly often, but mostly because I have a Roman Empire obsessed friend who, regardless of conversation topic, always manages to make a comparison to the Roman Empire.
Cool dude
Is that you, John? :D
Um no, I’m just Jack
Best Cool Dude. Roman Empire Dan. Such a Card.
This is why we need an ask historian community on lemmy. Rome questions would have spiked about now
Guy. Several times a week. Legit.
I think on Rome fairly often, but it’s usually more often on the republic.
about how the Republic fell and became a totalitarian state.
I was thinking about this literally yesterday, on the nature of Octavian betraying the Republic, and how the Iulii and the Claudii simply kept themselves on power through the whole process. (Both gentes were already powerful in Republican times.) Or how some of the Claudii called themselves “Clodius” instead of “Claudius” for the sake of populism. (“See? I’m from the people! I even speak like a pleb!”)
Even the state of politics dating back to the Grachi. Gradually becoming more violent and turbulent and Rome’s reach and power grew. A society of adapters who could no longer adapt to the fast pace of change.