Article: A 'modern Roman' view of how Ancient Rome influences us

[Alwyn]

You can view the page at http://www.twcenter.net/forums/conte...-influences-us

[Alwyn]

As the new director for the Helios, I am happy to announce that the Helios has returned to posting articles relating to any aspect of history. People who enjoy the reviews by Gen. Chris of historical TV shows and movies do not need to worry - the Helios will continue to publish such reviews. I look forward to working with Flinn, Gen. Chris - and other writers who will be revealed in future. Meanwhile, comments on this article (and suggestions for future Helios articles) are welcome!

[SXFighter]

Speaking from an American perspective, this was a fascinating peek into Italian psychology.

Other than that I think you have some great points about Roman influence, anyone would be hard-pressed to debate what you've said.

Very nice article! Although now I'm pretty hungry.

[hoho96]

Amazing article, and fascinating read.

#WeAreAllRome

[Johnadiw26]

Wonderful...I agree with SXFighter said, and congratulation for your position as new director for the Helios, I am waiting for the next article.To answer your question about who is the heir of the Romans? it is us.

[stevehoos]

"However, as mentioned above, the turning point was the introduction of Christianity as official religion of the Empire: as a matter of fact, the values which were at the base of the Roman culture were codified in the old religion, so with the new course being introduced, step by step those values were lost and the idea of the greatness of Rome was replaced by the new goal of spreading Christianity around the known world."

Very well written.
However I knew that this article would take a jab at Christianity. So it was the "values" that Christianity replaced that led to the fall of the greatness of the Roman empire? There's no mention of hyperinflation, over expansion, or just plain power hungry tyranny. Christianity could have never dropped its search lights on the Roman Boot and the same outcome was inevitable. Is there an Edward Gibbon quote in the preface?

[Alwyn]

Thanks, everyone, for your comments on Flinn's article! Like SXFighter, I was hungry too after reading this!

stevehoos asked if there was an Edward Gibbon quote - were you asking about the quote "Their history is our history"? This quote came from the last sentence of the first paragraph; it summarised the argument in the article, which is why it was used as part of the title.

stevehoos, it sounds as if you might find the article's depiction of Christianity offensive, since it appears to blame the fall of the Roman Empire on Christianity. Obviously, I cannot speak for Flinn; I can tell you my thinking, for what it's worth. Yes, economic problems, over expansion, hunger for power and tyranny undermined the empire and its eventual fall was probably inevitable. There is a long list of possible reasons for the fall of Rome. Over expansion is one possible explanation; one historian argued that it was the failure of the empire to keep expanding which triggered its fall (perhaps both are true).

Is Flinn's article taking a jab at Christianity? Maybe - and yet I wonder if Flinn's argument is more nuanced than simply saying that 'Christianity ended the empire'.

Flinn argued that "Religion played a main role here: with putting God at the center of the universe and consequently the Emperor as his “delegate on Earth”, the idea of the people (intended as those who dwell in the city) ruling its fate was lost forever." This could be seen as a criticism of Christianity. It could also be seen as saying that Christianity is opposed to the republican ideal of the people's rule. In other words, it could be seen as criticism of claims by monarchs to rule 'by divine right' (as King Charles I of England claimed to do, before the Civil War in the 1640s). In other words, this can be seen as a criticism of the misuse of Christianity by a powerful ruler, an attempt to silence dissenters - not an authentic expression of Christian faith.

Flinn also argued that "the turning point was the introduction of Christianity as official religion of the Empire". As before, this could be seen as a condemnation of Christianity - however, that it not the only possible interpretation. This could be seen, not as an attack on Christianity, but on the fusion of Church and State. Flinn mentions "The assimilation of the new religion into the imperial system" which seems to support the view that it was the integration of the church and the power-hungry, expansionist and tyrannical empire which was the problem.

Of course, the view that this is a criticism of Christianity relies on the idea that the fall of the empire was a bad thing. Perhaps, if Christianity undermined a system which was (or had become) power-hungry, expansionist and tyrannical, that was not a bad thing?

[Dante Von Hespburg]

A fascinating and fantastic article, thoroughly enjoyable to read. I would chime in on the Christianity aspect here- i didn't read it as the 'religion' per say, but Christianity's political-earthly systems were established and the faith 'abused' to cement the ideal of an absolutist authority by shoring up its legitimacy as being 'divine'. Christianity as a temporal structure no doubt had a major role in changing the face of the Empire- making it weaker or stronger depending on perspective and time-period (The Later Eastern Roman Empire- Christianity and the 'fanaticism' it could inspire- particularly with a divinely 'appointed' Emperor could be said to actually have saved the Empire from the encroaching Caliphate through its inspiring of a pseudo-Crusader zeal).

[Legatus Legionarii]

Thanks for this interesting article and for sharing your view on this topic. I am convinced that the Roman heritage (law, legal and political institutions, language, warfare, administration, the idea of an Empire/imperium), are very recognizable in today's world, certainly in Europe. I read a related article by Mary Beard, in which she reflects on exactly this topic: https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...t-rome-matters, linking experiences the Romans made with similar events and problems we are facing today. In her book S.P.Q.R. - A history of Ancient Rome (2015), which in my opinion brought some fresh interpretation concerning Roman history from its very beginnings into the Imperial era, she also dedicated a chapter to the question of how Rome and her history are still influencing the world of today. For anyone interested in this, I can only recommend this book.

[Beavertronius]

I enjoyed reading this immensely! Especially the concluding remarks. Looking forward to hearing more from you Flinn, soon I hope

[♔atthias♔]

I like this +rep

[Flinn]

tnx everyone for the kind comments and I apologize if I'm long in answering, but I was at holydays!

For the records, I'm working on new articles (many ideas at the moment), but don't expect me to be that productive with historical stuff, after all, the Dudeness is strong in me ..