Rome and today

**The_Technician** · 03-13-2008, 12:18 PM

Started this thread based on the similarities between Rome and the US politically, economically.

Its interesting that in or about 200 AD, Rome had a transvestite 14 year old as emperor....who married his chariot driver at age 17....the senators and other political figures who were elected by the populace, spent days at the Coloseum or Hippodrome, were interested in making money for their big business contacts and forgot about the populace and their problems....essentially forgot about the problems of the state....

Sound familiar...??

**clester** · 03-13-2008, 12:39 PM

Wasn't there also a economic collapse. Also familiar.

**The_Technician** · 03-13-2008, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by clester

Wasn't there also a economic collapse. Also familiar.

Personally, I think they got lead poisioned....it does have crazy effects on people....and they did do some weird things individually near the end of empire....

**clester** · 03-13-2008, 01:39 PM

I haven't studied history for many years, but I think GREED and selfishness was a factor. It is now at least. They also turned away from religion (I think they were Christians before they started to disintigrate).
Man, this does sound familiar! Where are the historians on the board?

**clester** · 03-13-2008, 01:48 PM

Here's a quote from about.com
Why did Rome Fall?

"There are adherents to single factors, but more people think Rome fell because of a combination of such factors as Christianity, decadence, lead, monetary trouble, and military problems. Even the rise of Islam is proposed as the reason for Rome's fall, by some who think the Fall of Rome happened at Constantinople in the 15th Century."

**clester** · 03-13-2008, 01:50 PM

Economic Reasons for the Fall of Rome

Economic factors are cited as a major cause of the fall of Rome. These economic factors include:

Poor management,
Dole (bread and circuses),
Inflation, and
Hoarding.

**clester** · 03-13-2008, 01:52 PM

Economic, Military, Gradual

[(URL = <www.acs.ohio-state.edu/history/isthmia/teg/Hist111H/issues/rome1.html>) Fall of Rome]
This Ohio State site lists 3 single-issue models for the collapse:

Economic (lack of circulating currency and trade deficit, and other factors not clearly economic, like environmental change and decaying infrastructure)
Military (citizenship granted to all reduced the incentive to join the army), and
Gradual transformation (it never fell or fell to Islam).

Economic - Hoarding and Deficit

[(URL = <kids.osd.wednet.edu/jms/FallofRome.html>) Fall of Rome]
Causes of the fall of Rome include economic decay through hoarding of bullion, barbarian looting of the treasury, and trade deficit; military decay through attrition and disorganization; and the lack of an effective military leader.

**Silverbird** · 03-13-2008, 02:10 PM

Also, lavish spending on amusing the populace, graft, debased currency, giveaways of imported food, farmers leaving overworked land, hiring of mercenaries and military elite.

**Hallatauer** · 03-13-2008, 02:18 PM

So, who is going to be the first to publish "The Decline and Fall of the American Empire"?

**Idaho Dave** · 03-13-2008, 02:22 PM

Don't forget that they didn't produce anything. All of their income was based on conquering other societies. Eventually they ran out of places to conquer and were overextended.

**Tempest** · 03-13-2008, 03:33 PM

Are we talking Rome- the Republic or Rome the Empire? To put a further monkey in the wrench are you all discussing the Western Roman Empire or the Eastern Roman Empire? Where was the bread basket of the Roman Empire?
And why did they have 2 emperors at the same time during one period.

Comparing 'Rome' to the US of A is about as flawed as you can get.
About as flawed as comparing Roman Empire to the British Empire.

Trivia question on the Lorica Musculata (not the true Roman name-nobody knows what the real Latin name was) seen on statue of Augustus Caeser -you have two of men that are both holding Roman Legion standards on the Lorica.
Why is that?

No fair doing a GOOGLE or Wiki
I''l be in Rome (again) on August 22 through Sept 2nd. Your blue book exams will be due when I get back.
I don't grade on a curve.

Ain't nobody collapsing anytime soon-at least not in our life time or our grandchildrens lifetimes. Beyond that it gets kinda murky.

My 2 sestertius.

P.S. I locked in my trip to Italia at the same price as 2 years ago. FWIW

**The_Technician** · 03-13-2008, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by Idaho Dave

Don't forget that they didn't produce anything. All of their income was based on conquering other societies. Eventually they ran out of places to conquer and were overextended.

There are several aspects of your statement that are ...lets say interesting in today's environment....didn't produce much...overextended...they do apply today....

Have we not conquered other countries economically today?...it doesn't matter if we fired a shot or cut a throat to do it...

The interesting point of Rome is that human nature is the same.....in both societies.....yesterday as today....

Does Rome (USA) fall today for similar reasons??? is the big question....