Why Do You Like Rome?

[RomanItaly]

Salve RomanItaly,

 

I feel the same emotional attachment, and this has caused me to somewhat disdain the Greeks, because they seem to get all the credit. I think it's (partly) because of the generational thing, and, too, because of the channeling of their genius into things popular in today's society in this country, and the adolescence(?) juvenility(?) of it.

 

It is easiest for me to summarize it as a generational proposition: I think it goes something like this: The son (I use male because the male struggle for status is different from the female, and the line of power in societies is usually patriarchal more than matriarchal), again the son, when he is a juvenile or adolescent rejects his Father while more respecting his Grandfather. This is in part the importance of the grandfather (and grand mother) in human societies. America is an adolescent/juvenile society, and rejects the father, Rome, and transfers its respect more to the grandfather Greece.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling that way. I think you've summed it up well. It's definitely an emotional connection, and a fierce desire to defend it, which is why I also can get a bit bitter when talking exclusively about the Greeks, considered original and genius, while Rome gets the rap of being a copying civilization and unoriginal (which is infuriating, especially considering how much Rome actually contributed to the world, and also taking into thought all that the Greeks copied and stole from Egypt and Mesopotamia).

When speaking of America, I am not speaking of actual youths, but those who are able to shape opinions(with clamor, and noise). They admire the seemingly liberal (democracy/egalitarianism) of Greece, and somewhat despise the conservative (republic/diluted electoral participation) of Rome.

 

In truth, the actual difference in participation between Greek democracy and the Roman Republic is negligible, if it exists at all. The Greeks were hardly "good people" who preferred allowing the general populace to run government. Most people forget to mention that "the people", if any, comprised at most 1/3 of the population. The Roman Republic was far more practical, and no less "free" in my opinion.

 

Conservatism is "keeping" and "holding onto that which is

[Emperor Goblinus]

When I was taking Latin courses from sixth to eleventh grade, we obviously dealt alot with Roman history. I found it quite fascinating, but one thing that bothered me was that we hardly ever talked about Roman history beyond the Julio-Claudians. When we finally got around to studying Byzantine history in tenth grade, we mostly just focused on Justinian I, and then briefly mentioned the Great Schism and iconoclast controversy. Over nine hundred years of blank.

 

Fast forward to my first year in college. In my introductory western civ course, we talked a good bit more about the late empire, and the Byzantine period. My interest was piqued, and I started reading extensively. Currently, I'm in a Distinguished Majors Program, and I'll probably be focusing on that period in my studies.

 

The Roman Empire was such a fascinating political entity, from its structures from the fact that it lasted so long for an empire its size. And the Byzantine Empire, which I see as the direct continuation of the empire, has a fascinating history as a country that was literally at the crossroads of two world, the West and the Islamic world. While I always knew that the period after 476 was more than just some "Dark Ages," studying Byzantine history really showed me that the Middle Ages was far more than a bunch of knights and peasants and silly kings, but rather, a fascinating and dynamic period, occupied by some amazing and interesting cultures and individuals. At the same time, I also find old Roman history to be interesting, especially the period when Rome was still just an Italian power, fighting against dozens of now-extinct peoples. To be honest, I find history everywhere to be fascinating, but I'm attracted to Roman history the most.

[sullafelix]

When I was a kid I loved all the sword and sandal epics. So when I had to pick a degree any degree in about 10 seconds I chose classics. Good move, now I am a grad student and hope to never leave the empire again. I started off as a romantic interest in this great lost civilisation with their amazing dominance of the world. Now that I specialise in Republican history it is things like the practice of politics and all the questions to which we do not know the answers that keeps me fascinated. The were such a pragmatic and practical people, legalistic to the point of obsession and yet capable of producing some of the most beautiful architecture, art and poetry. As a city itself Rome exerts an enormous fascination the two sides of her; the great display and grandeur and then the overwhelming squalor and violence.

 

SF

[Antiochus III]

Well, my family cares little about history and such, but I ended up enjoying learning about Roman battles. I really am interested in the warfare of Roman troops, but over the years I have come to find that Roman ways, language, calendar and all of that come into play nowadays in big way, and I find their culture fascinating. I also view them as a sort of contemporary state in that they were the first to have a modern sense of many things, and also built on of the first efficiently govered and largest empires. They were so different, and represented a turning point in history.

 

Antiochus III

[cornelius_sulla]

I inherited a love for Rome and history in general from my grandfather. Our last name is Julian; we were up dirt poor in the seventies when I grew up, without a whole lot to be proud of. But we had this name whose history went back to antiquity.

When I was eight and old enough to read, my grandfather gave me his copy of Caesar's Gallic commentaries. He explained to me who this man Gaius Julius Caesar was, and the relation of our family name to his. It was something for a little boy with nothing to be proud of. I read the commentaries, didn't get it, but kept reading until I did. I found that to understand a lot of that book, I had to read other books. This introduced me to Cicero, Tacitus, Suetonius etc. I have to say that I was an arrogant little bugger; but an arrogant little bugger who could quote his sources!

Of course, I later learnt that I'm in no way related to the great Caesar Dictator Perpetuus, but by then I was on my way. When my mates were out converting cars and burglarising houses, I was reading, reading, reading. Geeking out on Rome kept me out of trouble, and ultimately, jail, where all my friends were heading. Everything about Rome fascinated me. The clothes, the food, the families, the politics, the wars; everything.

I have passed this passion on to my boy, who identifies strongly with Octavian. My girls could give a damn. They identify strongly with Hilary Duff and Alicia Keys.

I am not scholarly. I have not and probably will not study classics at university. Discovering UNRV has been great because it helped me scale a wall that I had run up against in my research into this all consuming topic. This site is fantastic, as are the people that I have encountered on it so far.

[dianamt54]

My mom was born and raised in Florence, Italy. Growing up, I always like Florence better than Rome. Then I saw Gladiator and my interest in Rome just grew. I watched Julius Caesar with Jeremy Sisto and loved it. Then came the HBO Rome and that was it for me. This past November I was in Italy with my boys and we spent three days in Rome, not enough, but just to be there! I have been to Rome several times and my parents would just run though it, saying here is that, here is this, just looking at stuff and not knowing what it was I was looking at. This time with my boys being 10 and 7, I wanted them to know what they were looking at. I did a lot of research (so I thought) on the Forum and Republic Rome. Again, not enough, This was the first time I actually walked through the forum. It was FANTASTIC! I was overwhelmed to know who had walked these same roads I was walking. To see where Julius Caesar's funeral was almost brought me to tears. A woman, I would say in her twenties, laid a rose on the site! Amazying. The Rostra was wonderful too!! So much blood spilled on those stones. Next time I go back, I am going to spend a lot more time at the forum and walk through Julius Caesar's forum.

I have been consumed with Rome since then. I have talked the ear off my boys! I point out everything that we hear and see that comes from Rome. How many tv shows use famous quote from Rome. Rome is everywhere!

Viva Roma!

[Julius Ratus]

My father convinced me to take High School Latin (I'm glad I did), and so I wanted to learn more about the Romans before class started up. So I started playing as the Romans in Age of Empires. Eventually I learned more about them and loved them more and more. A decade later I still find them every bit as interesting as I did when I was 14.

 

When it comes down to it, the Romans were the badasses of the Ancient world. They were not as brutal as the Assyrians, but did it with more pizzazz. They were nigh unbeatable at their peak. They also made the world they conquered a better place. All in all, I enjoy their culture, their language, their history, and their military.

[falkor]

Rome = messy! I prefer Pompeii and other Roman towns with a uniform street grid.

[Artimi]

sometimes I think that in an earlier life I was Roman, not the Roman of Hollywood sword and sandal movies, but Roman.

Unfortunately I have never been able to articulate just what a 'Roman' was.