The Romans were one of the worst empires that existed. Only the Mongols were worse. Why are they nonetheless so popular?
>>497194
>The Romans were one of the worst empires that existed
>>497194
>the first true empire
>multicultural, centralized, long lasting
>literally invented the word Imperium
Maybe you just don't like empires, you Carthaginian shit
>>497238
>the first true empire
>>497199
Countless genocides, mass slavery, warmongering ,decadent, destroyed countless cultures, absolutely no loyalty to allies.
>>497258
So pretty much like every other empire? Maybe you think the acquisition of land through war doesn't involve any of the things you mentioned...
>>497258
So a great empire, then.
>>497238
>the first true empire
>multicultural
Achaemenid Persia would like to have a word with you
>>497263
Even in comparison with other empires, they were extreme.
>>497258
Really? What genocides?
Large-scale use of concrete. And I say this as a Roman history fan. Obviously their long-term impact on the west, and on the world. was manifold. On the other hand one thing that makes them feel current in a way other civilizations of antiquity don't is the fact that their buildings lasted in large numbers and in impressive condition because of concrete.
>>497316
>they were extreme
Yeah, no. Colonial empires were far worse than the Romans.
Because literally everyone has played as Rome in AoE, Civilization and many other strategy games.People don't care to read books on the social, cultural and political dimensions and literally only care about wars and shit. Remember who this website's audience is...
>>497238
OP: Why are they nonetheless so popular?
You:>multicultural
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_technology
>>497354
>roman cultural and social influence
>bad
wat
>>497354
>implying war wasn't principal to Roman culture
People who glorify combat to the point of making a sport out of it, okay.
>>497354
Have you ever been in /rome/?
All they do is masturbate over roads.
>>497354
My only regret is that I will never experience the point in time when it was most fashionable for men to free ball with robes on.
Instead I'm wearing fucking PANTS.
>>497360
Rome invented multicultural civilization, they would defeat you, tax you, and then start building the most amazing shit around you till you felt more Roman than Iberian/Gaul/Greek
Because Rome was good at it.
>>497380
they some fine ass roads though
>>497420
I don't deny.
>>497408
>you felt more Roman than Iberian/Gaul/Greek
That's not multiculty
>>497439
well people still got to keep their religions and customs they just became Romanized on top of that too.
>>497446
But their way of Civilization was taken from them
>>497453
That's evolution baby. Things which reproduce themselves better, survive and propagate.
>>497457
>That's evolution
>>497453
no it wasn't
Rome had two ways of conquering, they offered peace and a decent legal status in exchange of fair taxes, if you didn't take the offer, they conquered, and gave you the unfair taxes and shit legal status.
they almost never went around razing cities and toppling temples since there wasn't much of a point to it. Romans didn't care about imposing an ideology, their expansion always had an economical, political and strategical motivation behind it. The few times Rome went full genocide, it was because they were fucking pissed off or quelling a rebellion, like with Carthage, Israel and Galia.
>>497475
>fair taxes
kek, they bled provinces dry, they were like vampires.
Alone under Nero, they plundered the Empire, before Nero was made an enemy, the Gauls were going to raise an army and sack Rome. This is the reason Nero and the Julian Claudians were ousted from power.
>>497258
>genocides
Were assimilated, not exterminated.
>mass slavery
Common almost everywhere.
>warmongering
Like every empire.
>decadent
You are either a conservative, a reactionary or a whig. Your opinion isn't a fact.
>destroyed countless cultures
Again, they were assimilated.
>absolutely no loyalty to allies
Because ancient people were loyal to foreigners outside trade and warfare, right? Please.
>>497519
WE ARE THE BORG
>>497516
>kek, they bled provinces dry, they were like vampires
Tedious politicized nonsense. If you're looking to history for confirmation of your current notions of correct behaviour, have at it. There's certainly lots of precedent. Just don't pretend you're trying to understand a different place and time with a different system of values.
>>497531
The eternal carthaginan is butthurt again I see.
>>497567
what kind of spurdo is that?
>>497926
I think it's classified as a rare variation of 'X ain't free'
afaik this and the previous one are the only ones on the meme market right now
t. meme pro
Let me judge this 2000 year old based on today's moral values
>>497531
Why would you think they were only looking for confirmation of their current values in history when the Romans themselves realized that governors using the provinces for personal gain were a big problem and took steps to limit such abuses?
>>497934
these ones are better
