Why Do You Like Rome?

[Sula]

I think I've always liked the history of Rome. I am constantly amazed by the technology they had and the magnificance of the empire.

[Plautus]

I guess I like Rome because the more I study it the more I appreciate the similarities between our present society and this long dead one. It is so gone it seems like another world, just a few pottery shards, a mozaic and some broken columns, yet it is so alive in us and our institutions.

 

Although I admire the culture of the Middle Ages, I could never see myself going on Crusade, or being ruled by some life dominant vow. I don't think I could live my life constantly pining away for the next.

 

Meanwhile the Romans were practical, middle class, self aware and self effacing. They liked to laugh at themselves. They liked to buy things, were into fashion and wanted a good life. Wasn't it Martial who said:" I don't ask much from life, just to make enough to afford a few stiff-necked Moesians to carry me to the Games in style.." (Bad paraphrase, I know). When I read Marcus Aurelius, he feels closer to man's attempt to reconcile with the infinite better than any saint or televangelists' dogmatic ravings. When I read Pliny the Younger complaining to a friend about his being stood up for a dinner invitation- " I went all out, I served snow. you know thats not cheap..." That sounds like a conversation we could be having now. People in the Middle Ages, Enlightenment, ever the Victorian era didn't sound like that. And that from a pen that was stilled two thousand years ago.

[miguel]

Roman culture is very different from the others. It contains a little of ancient Greek style, combines with its own coastal Mediterranean culture and forms a unique civilization. Also, European history influences the world the most, and Rome is one of the most important part in European history in many ways like politics, economy and culture, affecting the development of world history afterwards in the Renaissance, age of revolutions and the WWI and WWII. That makes Roman history a lot more interesting more the history of other places.

[The Augusta]

I would echo most of the above posts in answering 'Why?' I love Roman history, but as to the 'How it all began?'

 

I was once a terrified little twelve year old grammar school girl who was taught her Latin by an enthusiastic Welshman. (I still conjugate my verbs with a Welsh accent!) Double Latin on Tuesday mornings in the First Year would fill many with dread - I loved it. He reserved one lesson a week for 'Background' as he called it - we would call it Classical Studies today. Can't explain - it just 'got to me'. I never did any serious study of the history until 1976 when 'I Claudius' was screened - and although I thought the series was wonderful, I couldn't help thinking: 'Some of this isn't right'. It was just a very strange gut feeling that some of it wasn't ringing true - so I decided to find out for myself. And so began a journey of love, from first picking up Suetonius to taking my studies to tertiary level. I have moved house several times since then, of course, and the 'Classics' bookshelf always is the first thing to be packed lovingly in the van. My son and daughter have grown up surrounded by the old black-spined Penguin Classics and the tiny colourful hardback Loebs. We have hidden bank notes down the spines of the Cambridge Ancient History for emergency purposes, and I occasionally have to go searching through my 15 year old son's room for stolen works on classical warfare and service in the army. I know instantly when a volume is missing from the shelves - and it has grown over the years to resemble a small branch of Blackwells. I occasionally allow the odd Greek volume to rest among the greater gods too!

 

Incidentally - if my old Latin teacher is on this forum - and it's not beyond the realms... Salve magister!

[Guest Revenge Of Varus]

For whatever reason, the Roman empire is just my favorite period in history. It was the climax the of the classical age, a complex society that was in many ways similar to our own. Of course after the Roman empire fell, western civilization went to pot, and it took years before people could even match the achievements of the Romans. I just find it fascinating. And of all the classical civilizations, the Romans are my favorite. There's just something about them that draws me to them. I guess it all started when I was little kid and I saw the Romans in movies, and I thought their uniforms where awesome. From there, I just kept on loving Roman history

[DecimusCaesar]

Like many others on this thread, I'm not quite sure why it is that I like the Romans more than many other periods in history (although I am fascinated by other cultures and periods in history). For instance I admire many things in Greek culture, their science and technology and their ideas about philosophy, their titanic struggles against the Persian Empire, their innovative spirit and the way that one civilization could have so much in common in terms of language, fashion etc yet be completely different, like Athens and Sparta.

 

But yet I like the Romans more, perhaps it is because the Romans shaped the enviroment around me (archaeologists found the remains of three houses dating back to the Roman period near my home a few years back) or perhaps it is because they have many fascinating characters,look at the difference between Cato the Stoic in the Republic and the extravagant Emperor Elagabalus. They have such diverse personalities and many of them would do things and act in certain ways that we would not dare do today.

 

There are many things I do not like in the Roman character, they could be excessively cruel, especially when it came to their entertainment, yet I admire their achievements and the way the helped shape the world.

[martino]

I have been fascinated by all things Roman since as long as I can remember.

I first read this thread a couple of days ago and have since then wondered what event if any started me on this course and why I settled on this from all the periods of possible history.

For me my roots lay in 3 things.

I live near Colchester - the town sacked by Boudicca in the Iceni revolt. I have access to its history and buildings and my parents to thank. Secondly I still have a history project that I put together when I was about 10 and long before the internet I could not believe the wealth of books and information available and finally I grew up with a weekly 'comic' ( I hesitate to call it a comic ) called Look and Learn - this was packed full of science, history and real life stories and had a comic strip called the Trigan Empire. Ok it was characters in Roman military uniforms with ray guns hopping between planets but it made me ask myself at about 10 or 11 years of age - what if? I became fascinated more about how the Roman Empire just stopped and yet mankind continued and it made me start to look and question how an empire came into being. The more I read the greater my interest and since then whenever I travel I go and see the nearest roman remains. I have walked large sections of Hadrains Wall and been to all but one of the forts and I find myself thinking not about the marvellous feat of how it was built but what it must have been like for a native of Syria to have been stationed in this desolate outpost. I have been to Hadrains Villa outside Rome and ask myself about the logistics of feeding 5000+ people and how the Slaves would have lived. It is nearly 40 years since I read that comic strip but I still keep asking myself - what if?. What if the empire had expanded? What if the Republic had continued? What if the empire never divided? What if the Romans discovered the New world ( Americas )? Rhetorical questions maybe, but it keeps my passion to learn more about Romans going.

[Aurelianus]

I had a succession of good and knowledgeable history teachers, and they fuled my interest in all thing historical, but i dont think they started it. My memory refuses to let me know how it started, although my earliest recolection of interest was when i listned to Bernard Cornwall's 'Harlequin', and then just wanted to know more... and more. I was 12 then, and over the past 4-5 years i have simply read and researched, moving from period to period.

I don't know when i first came to be enamoured with all things roman, but i doubt i will ever cease to be. The shear amount of diferant and complex characters there were is so fascinating and intriguing, from Romulus (and befor acording to virgil) to Konstantinos Dragases. Recently i have been expanding my knowledge of Byzantium, and find it sad that they failed to learn from the mistakes of the west, and eventualy died to make way for a new world order.

[Spartan156]

Me, it was all the way back when i wanted Rome Total war. I was instantly hooked on learning what this one civilization did in what i considered at primitive time, then learened that it was more advanced than i ever thought. More than ten times. I had recently discovered that the greeks were one step behind creating steam powered engines and electricity. That schocked me.

 

and if my words sound totally off topic, i skipped everything you guys said cuz i dont like reading so much.

Edited October 7, 2006 by Spartan156

[CiceroD]

I was always interested in History. To me the more Ancient the better. What really focused me on Ancient Rome was the wonderful novels by Lindsey Davis. Is anyone else here a Marcus Didius Falco fan? I know there are historical innaccuracies but at least they made the Roman World real and understandable to me.

[Guest Pax Romana]

Why am I interested in Rome?. Partly because of their achievements, I mean that empire was very impressive!!. And let's face it the history of Rome is packed full of interesting characters (The Grachii, Ceasar, Augustus to name but a few). Also, I love to read about the way "ordinary" people lived both in Rome itself and throughout the Empire.

What got me interested in Rome?. I suppose it was those old films, such as the fall of the roman empire, of course as I've learned more about Rome my taste with regard to films ect has developed. Also, I suppose there is an element of escapeism, some people go for sci fi, me I love history in general and Rome inparticular.

[brotus maximus]

well for me it started probably (if i remember correctly) at around the age of twelve when the teachers started teaching us about different wars and by that i god hooked and as the years progressed i wondered what other wars happened besides ww 1 & 2 so i looked into it and i found rome and all of (please excuse the expression but....) her greatness with her vast armies and weaponry and (it was becuase of me reading a greek history book that i found out about romes military might and all) and ever since then i have been hooked for rome. mostly the weaponry and the tactics i like and i am slowly coming on to other stuff like the battles themselfes (the punic wars are pretty cool to learn about and learning about). ya thats what i like about rome and also the fact that they at their prime were the most advanced race(can u call them a race or a culture) to exist ever

[Vibius Tiberius Costa]

i like the roman empire as I am fascinated in its Militiary achievements and how it shook the world. I have also visited many Roman places like TRIER, VERULANIUM, THE ICKNIELD WALK, LONDINIUM etc

[Guest Gaivs Marivs]

Year 6 History back in my home country of Bulgaria, though it was mostly about the Byzantine Empire. Throughout the centuries, Bulgaria was conquered by Byzantium and in turn conquered the European part of the Eastern Roman Empire. And The Eastern Roman Empire (at least the European part) was Bulgarian territory from the 13th-14th century when the Ottomans came along. That sparked my interest.

 

Then I learnt that there was more than the Byzantine Empire and learnt about the Western Roman Empire. Then I got some books I'd rather not mention...I'll just mention the authors and I think you'll get which books I'm talking about...Goscinny and Uderzo...thought not historically accurate, those books (I still have them) prompted me to find out more about Caesar and Vercingetorix, etc...

 

But what fascinates me about Rome is the complexity of its society, its politics, its military history. I am also interested in a number of characters like Marius, Jugurtha, Sulla, Pompey, Hannibal, Caesar and Marcus Aurelius, as well as a number of important events- the Jugurthine Wars, the Catiline Conspiracy, the civil wars between Marius and Sulla, Caesar and Pompey, and Caesar and Mark Anthony. I am also interested in the theory of Roman legionaries settling in China after Crassus' defeat in Parthia.

 

Roman History isn't my only interest, however. I am also interested in Chinese History (modern history included for some reason- I hate modern history) and also the history of the Greek and Egyptian World.

 

Now I am doing a History degree which i'll have to start all over again as my current university is totally useless. I am planning on getting an Ancient History and Archaeology degree with a Diploma of Education from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

Edited October 29, 2006 by Gaivs Marivs

[Aphrodite]

I prefer bronze age greece