Iberia -1
Sweboz +1
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 8
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 16
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 8
Koinon Hellenon: 14
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:12
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 21
Sweboz: 13
Printable View
Iberia -1
Sweboz +1
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 8
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 16
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 8
Koinon Hellenon: 14
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:12
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 21
Sweboz: 13
Romani -1
Ptolemaioi +1
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 8
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 16
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 8
Koinon Hellenon: 14
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 20
Sweboz: 13
Getai -1
Epeiros +1
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 8
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 17
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 8
Koinon Hellenon: 14
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 20
Sweboz: 13
Romani -1
Iberia +1
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 8
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 17
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 14
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 19
Sweboz: 13
KH +1
Romani -1
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 8
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 17
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 18
Sweboz: 13
Iberia +1
Sweboz -1
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 8
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 17
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 10
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 18
Sweboz: 12
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 8-1=7
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 17
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 10
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 18+1=19
Sweboz: 12
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:7
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 17
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 10-1=9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani:19+1=20
Sweboz: 12
We should let teh Romani win since out of that list, they did the most for western Europe... The Romans were the only ones willing to spread their culture and civilisation throughout western Europe. I don't care what anybody says about the Romans being evil as opposed to being good before around 250BC, and i don't care if the Romans didn't invent most of the things they gave to western Europe, but the fact is that everywhere in western Europe the Romans went, their technology followed, and WE was unified for the first (and last?) time ever and flourished like it never had before.
ROMANI ARE TEH PWN
Sure they were. Other nations were forced to spread their culture and civilization trought the known world. But really, Rome didnt spread their culture into new regions as much as they were affected by conquered lands.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
Dont forget, where Romans went, their slave mines and exploitation of conquered lands followed. Rome really wasnt one united empire that lived together in harmony. Most of nations that lived in Roman Empire lands were exploited by Roman nobles so much that Romans were hated commonly everywhere outside Italy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
Did Rome flourished after 1.AD, I would argue about that. Especially Western Rome was in serious problems with riots, corruption and generals hungry for power.
Sure other people may have spread it eastward, like Alexander for example, but western Europe was just a collection of tribes living in huts... And about slaves, every nation used slaves, at least they could eventually buy their freedom and become citizens...
But even somebody who hates the Romans must admit that they did a lot for western Europe in terms of technological advancement...
Getai +1
Epeiros -1
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:7
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 16
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani:20
Sweboz: 12
I would argue against this.People often consider "Barbarians" as some peasants living in huts and gathering squirrel skinsQuote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
(well maybe in here Finland they were :laugh4: )
In fact they were much more advanced then we like to think many times. Metallurgy of these nations was much better than Romans had. Even Europa Barbarorum, mod for RTW, was started long time ago to correct these mistakes people often make about "barbarians". It was later when EB team decided to expand their work to other nations as well.
Remember, it wasnt Rome superior in technology that lead them to victory in Western Europe, it was civil war between Gauls and some other factors that were favourable for Romans at that time.
Also remember that Rome was the place that was raided before by gauls but not considered important enough to begin govern the town.
Almost every nation used slaves in those times, true. Rome wasnt only using slaves in large scale, but exploiting conquered lands in ways many regions had never seen before.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
Rome had much more important factor in advancment of politics and religion(christianity made empire official religion later) than in actual technological advancment.
And actually I love Rome and its history. I love it good sides as I love its bad sides. It wouldnt be same without negative sides, wouldnt it :book:
I just wanted to give you my opinions regarding what I disagreed.
But if everybody was so much more advanced than Rome, as everybody here seems to keep saying, then how come one city, insignificant in the eyes of the Gauls who conquered it earlier in its history, manage to carve out the most impressive ancient empire of all ancient times, and hold onto it for hundreds of years? There has to be something they had over their European, African and eastern neighbours...
You can ask same question about Carthage and empire of Alexander the great.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
Its just the fact that super powers such as Romans sometimes rise. I doubt that there is one specific reason for some nations to grow super powers. This time odds just favored Romans, but with couple different factors it could had been any other nation.
Who do people think was the strongest power at the start of the game?
Rome didn't have a manifest destiny to rule, it could have lost either of the first two punic wars. In addition the story of the rise of Rome is also the story of the faliures of Alexander's sucessors IMO.
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:7
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 16
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 17+1=18
Romani:20-1=19
Sweboz: 12
Qarthadast takes the lead.
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:7
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 16
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 18 +1 = 19
Romani: 19 - 1 = 18
Sweboz: 12
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:7
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 16
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 19 + 1 = 20
Romani: 18 -1 = 17
Sweboz: 12
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:7
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 16+1=17
Getai: 16-1=15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 20
Romani: 17
Sweboz: 12
Arverni+1
Romani-1
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:8
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 17
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 20
Romani: 16
Sweboz: 12
Epeiros +1
Macedonia -1
Aedui 12
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:8
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 18
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 14
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 20
Romani: 16
Sweboz: 12
Arveni+1
Aedui-1
Aedui 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:9
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 18
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 14
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 20
Romani: 16
Sweboz: 12
Like I've explained, it was their good organization, and their early ability to build up a rumor of being trustworthy that granted them such power. Then they entered a conquest and consumption phase, where they gradually lost all their strategical strength while gaining some short term benefits. Most empires enter a conquest phase after establishing a secure home frontier and a solid power base. The main differences between Rome and any earlier or later empire are the following:Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
- Roman power base was stronger than what most other empires create in their early phases. It's pretty unique for an empire to have an rumor of being a trustworthy as ally. Almost unqiue for the ancient period was also the good rumor that made several trust them for being so merciful that they could put down their arms and surrender without a fight in front of them.
- During the expansion phase the romans still managed to maintain part of their good rumor because at some points the roman opponents attacked first rather than being attacked first, so they didn't need to use as much backstabbing and aggression as most other empires. That slowed down the consumption of good rumor.
- During the expansion phase, Rome happened to have luck in that at many times their opponents were already weakened by previous internal conflicts. For instance Gaul, Iberia, Karthage and all of the Diadochi.
- Roman expansion happened at a time in history where very crucial inventions went from being small scale implementation to large scale implementation. Switching from bronze to iron, for example. There was also a time where several key inventions were made in different parts of the world, at the time that Rome had reached a fairly large extent but had nearly lost it's momentum. Rome was lucky in that it happened to reach that extent at a time where all these crucial inventions were made, and could incorporate all of them, while most others could only use one or two of the key inventions.
Edward Gibbon stated that "the good question isn't why Rome fell, but why it survived so long". I and others have in previous posts already mentioned what moral, political, technological, scientific and philosophical decline Rome went through from 250 BC to 200 AD, and how backwards Rome was from 200 AD and until it's fall, which were good reasons for why Rome really should have fallen much more quickly than it did. But above I've mentioned some of the as I see it key factors behind why Rome didn't fall more quickly, and why Rome in the first place could expand to a geographical extent larger than many other empires, but Rome is by no means the largest empire ever to have existed, for instance the Mongol and British empires were a lot larger IIRC. To create an empire at all isn't that difficult, as history has shown many have been able to do so, and many who had the chance didn't bother doing it because of the simple fact that an empire comes at a high cost. So above I've only mentioned the main factors that differs the roman empire from other empires, the factors that make an empire at all aren't of interest in this discussion. What we can learn from Rome, and other empires, is that sooner or later most powerful and strong of factions (like early Rome) seem to be taken over by people who like to spend the resources built up by wise leaders, often creating a short term prosperity and high living standards, but at the cost of also creating oppression and terror for both it's own citizens and citizens of other factions, and in the end causing the destruction, and often massmurder of their own people at the hands of external and internal enemies who had enough of the oppressive rule of their later leaders, after the empire has massmurdered internal and external people who had little quarrel with that empire in the first place. That is the cost of most empires, and is the explanation for why so few factions who could easily have created an empire never really bothered doing so. One can in fact question how many of the current Italians are as much Romans as they are Germanics (lombards), Samnites, Italic and Etruscans.
In fact, several Roman writers - most of the roman elite as a matter of fact - thinks of the changeover from clementia to nova sapientia at the outbreak of the first punic war as a crucial point in Rome's history, and most of the roman elite seems to have been aware of the fact that it would cause Rome's fall. Unfortunately for the wiser romans, they had built such a strong roman power base that Rome would expand very far and for a very long time before reaching the turning point. Imagine how difficult it was for those romans to explain to their people that they were rushing towards their own destruction after the early victories of the younger "nova sapientia" generation!
Finally, lower technology level doesn't necessarily mean lower living standards. Many people who live freely in nature are a lot happier than people living in crowded cities. People who live in cities generally commit suicide a lot more often, and seem to more often be criminals. Nobody gets nicer or more clever because they get a mobile phone or a computer when they're 3 years old. It's about whether they have a desire to get clever and learn stuff that determines if it helps them reach some kind of enlightenment. One may in fact question whether today's western societies are at all that enlightened. Surely our brightest scientists make new discoveries, but as state-financing of research in all western countries has almost completely ended, the only further research that can be made is decided by what companies want to research, including biased tests that prove that their products are best, rather than finding the truth. Philosophy and logic isn't widespread, and education systems are falling apart. We have some bright guys in our nations, but are our nations enlightened because of it? Will they remain so if we keep taking away the financing of science and philosophy? Are you enlightened if you buy the latest mobile phone just because someone says it's cool to do so? Do you think freely, or is your opinion formed by others? How much are you controlled by your own fear, fear of being different, or fear of not being different enough and be forgotten among the masses? Can you say after reading Aristotle and Socrates, that your wisdom is greater than theirs? Have you ever invented something? Do you consider yourself superior to African and Middle east countries with less technology? Do you consider yourself better than them, because your country has more technology? Do you consider yourself clever, because others in your country have invented such things, or are you working with technology and inventing stuff yourself? If your country conquers, do you consider yourself superior because your country conquers? Then - are you part of these conquest? If not, how can you consider yourself enlightened and superior, and take honor and feel skilled over what you had no part in? And look at all others who feel pride over themselves because of achievements of their nations. Aren't most of them too also feeling honor and pride over something that isn't theirs at all?
I think the answer to all of your questions there are no... Aren't you a little patriotic toward wherever you come from? I am, but only very slightly. I feel more patriotism toward the ancient Romans for CONQUERING my country and bringing with them all the wonderful things they brought, and allowing through trade exotic foods and rugs and god knows what else to be brought in from the east, and through coinage and law allowing ancient England to flourish like it never had before... Just like every other place they conquered.
If the Romans were so bad and so evil, then why did the nobles of Britain write a letter to the emperor after he abandoned Britain and practically beg for him to return? Or maybe they were mean to everybody else, and only nice to the English?
Oh and before i forget.
Romani+1
Carthage-1
Aedui 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:9
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 18
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 14
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 19
Romani: 17
Sweboz: 12
Any sources for that, and which year would it be? In the late period, the saxons conquered southern Britain and they were even more cruel than the romans according to the sources, because Rome conquered and killed the most advanced barbarians, and in the process the wisest romans got killed. Plus Rome had by then brainwashed everyone that Rome was the centre of Christianity etc. etc., so Christians liked other Christians better than they liked pagans.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
Plus, have you heard of Bouddica? When the Iceni tribe was conquered, she was raped and whipped by the romans for no reason, he parents murdered. She started a rising, which was ruthlessly beaten down. Her followers were slaughtered in front of their families without being given any chance to surrender. Or Caradog of the Welsh, who rose against the British conquerors? Or the Picts who tried hard to keep their freedom in Northern Britain? Or the Great Conspiracy, where Britain gladly accepted to be ruled by a coup maker?
One thing about Britain was that in the late period, Britain was half cut off from the rest of Rome, so they didn't get to live through the same terror the others lived through, and Britain had some possibilities to influence how they were treated. While political bonds with Rome were loose, the trade bonds were firmer, and allowed the benefits of the roman system without the terror of it. Nobody in Rome really cared that much about the at that time insignificant island Britain, so they didn't install the same levels of terror and allowed more freedom there, while using massacres and similar more often in the eastern parts of the empire. So yes, in the very last phase of the roman empire, the British had some benefits from the occupation, but in the early and middle phases of Britain being under roman occupation (the middle part of the decline phase of Rome), the British population suffered from a lot of terror just like all other nations and tribes conquered by Rome. Apart from the Germanic and Celtic tribes that were conquered, Rome also destroyed the high-cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Carthage. They destroyed the high culture of the Getai, and part of Greek high-culture - philosophy and art - was also ruined by roman rule. For instance several forms of philosophy were forbidden. Olympics continued, but were eventually abolished during roman rule.
You obviously seem to have ignored some of the passages I've written. For instance Roman law was NOT an improvement for most people, as it was very arbitrary and tended to favor roman citizens over non-citizens. However, in a far away insignificant province like Britain I can imagine there were fewer citizens than anywhere else so perhaps there weren't that many cases of citizens oppressing non-citizens with the law on their side. Coinage was already widely deployed in Britain by the time the romans came. And rugs and exotic foods were hardly any improvement, in fact the Phoenicians (and Carthage) had trade contacts with the British all the way from the Middle east before Rome conquered Carthage. Roman conquests cut off that link for a long time, then you're thankful for them reestablishing the link they cut off?!!! And your final phrase "Just like every other place they conquered.", clearly shows you know nothing about the late roman republic and the roman empire. Is it flourishing when you mass execute people for no reason, when you terrorize and eradicate culture, when you torture and brainwash? Arbitrary massacres, unprovoked wars, followed by humiliation. The humiliation of saying to the conquered that they have no chance and that rome can do anything they wanted to them. The fall of Rome teaches us that a person who oppresses someone, and humiliates them for being oppressed, gets utterly destroyed, no matter how much power they had to consume when they begun their rampaging terror. It also shows that worthless brats (as the wiser romans would have described the new generation that took over at the time of the Punic wars) who use the power and strength created by their forefathers, while fooling themselves and others that their successes were due to not the potential created by their forefathers, but by some own genius they in reality obviously lacked, bring nations and empires into destruction. It also teaches us that a large empire can hardly be created without bloodshed and unprovoked attacks of neighbors, so even if it could keep internal peace and safety for it's citizens (which Rome could not by the way - at least one maniac emperor per generation, and additionally almost one internal coup/civil war problem per generation), it causes more problems to mankind than it solves, because a large empire causes tremendous disorder and warfare when it falls, and since it got large by unprovoked attacks and terror, it must fall, because everyone will fight for it's destruction. Finally, Rome shows that if you cruelly suppress rebels that are only fighting for their own freedom, rebels that would accept a peace treaty with your empire if only given freedom, only the brutal rebels who won't stop fighting until your empire is completely crushed the rebels who do not discuss but only kill and burn, are left. So the brutal total destruction of an empire is usually that empire's own fault.
No technology is worth such a high cost. And to be honest, can you think of one invention that you wouldn't have today if Rome hadn't conquered your country? If you live in Britain, then most of your culture today is either Saxon or Gaelic, and most of your ancestors (including those who were murdered and raped) were Saxon or Gaelic.
Romani+1
Carthage-1
Aedui 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:9
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 18
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 14
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 18
Romani: 18
Sweboz: 12
Romani -1
Epeiros +1
Aedui 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:9
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 19
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 14
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 18
Romani: 17
Sweboz: 12
sonething isn't right. They all started with 10's and now there are factions with 18, 19 and 17 while the lowest is 9. Where did all those points comefrom?
For each eliminated faction, there are 10 new points distributed over the surviving factions, so the average should increase for each faction that is eliminated, making the game more and more tiresome for each faction that is eliminated... But the total number of points should remain 20*10=200. Somehow, 1 point that shouldn't be there seem to have been added, because now total points are 201 instead of 200.
Aedui 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:9 -1 = 8
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 19 +1 = 20
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 14
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 18
Romani: 17
Sweboz: 12
Epeiros+1
Arverni-1
Aedui 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:8-1=7
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 20+1=21
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 14
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 18
Romani: 17
Sweboz: 12
Makedon+1
Quarthadast-1
Aedui 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:7
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 21
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 17
Sweboz: 12
Sorry, i'm just learning all this. What little they taught us about the Romans in school, i grew up to think the Romans were this wonderful people, so i'm finding it difficult to accept that every city they conquered, they executed 50% and made the other 50% slaves, which is what you keep suggesting, but i know this isn't true because i know that later in the empire the mistreatment of slaves was abolished and forbidden, and i also happen to know that when the Romans conquered somewhere, they let them govern themselves, after of course they had taken what slaves they wanted. (Which every nation did, took slaves i mean).Quote:
Originally Posted by LegioXXXUlpiaVictrix
I also know that only if a city rebelled would they go in and slaughter every living thing and burn down everything flammable... But people have to be taught that they can't rebel and get away with it... And this is one way of teaching them that. The way i see it though, a conquered people will always want their freedom, even if their conquerors have their best interests at heart... It's happening right now. Although this is arguable, the Americans and British invaded Iraq to free its people from tyranny... Yet they are still killing soldiers and demanding their freedom... So no matter how you treat your people, they will always be rebellious. There's a simple solution to this... Don't rebel if you value being alive.
I also know that the Romans didn't at all destroy culture, because they allowed conquered peoples to worship their gods, but gradually introduced Roman gods by combining their names, since most people had the same gods only with different names. So the picture you're painting of the Romans going into a city, terrorizing all its people, burning everything, making everybody slaves, mass slaughter, eradication of culture, is pretty much untrue. For some places, like Greece, the people were more free and liberated than when they were being governed by a Greek... Especially the women.
Stert all over start all overQuote:
Originally Posted by LegioXXXUlpiaVictrix
Arverni -1
Romani:+1
Aedui 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:6
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 21
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 18
Sweboz: 12
Can you point out where I wrote this, because I can't recall suggesting this anywhere.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
In most celtic and germanic cultures women held a much higher status than they did in Rome. Even Tacitus admits that women held a higher status among germanic people than in Rome in his "Germania". Actually women in Rome had quite bad conditions, and their conditions can hardly be considered better in Rome than in Greek societies either.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
You didn't say it outright, but this is what you're making it seem like. For someone who knows nothing about ancient Rome reading this thread, they would think that the Romans were the nazis of the ancient world, because this is what you're painting them as.
Dayve, I'd have to say LegioXXXUlpiaVictrix knows what he is writing. Many people like to see Rome today as something greater and more ideal place than it really was.
Myself I love Roman history, but remember there is huge difference between what Rome really was, and how public and media consider it. Rome is admired commonly for its greatness, army, and tolerance for conqured nations, but this is not all black and white as it sounds to be. Many of its great flaws seems just be forgotten in the schools history lessons.
LegioXXXUlpiaVictrix is not making Rome anything else what it really was in the past. Dont put words in his mouth.
We're just having a debate.. Nothing wrong with that. I find his posts very informative and interesting. But he is basically saying that everybody in the Roman empire was terrorized daily by their evil Roman rulers and that the Roman empire, apart from the city of Rome, was one big body of mass suffering...
You're telling me that the people in the conquered cities of Rome weren't allowed to live their daily lives uninterruopted by terrorization, get a job, raise a family, perhaps become rich and succesful?
Epeiros +1
Romani -1
Aedui 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni:6
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 22
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi:13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 17
Sweboz: 12
Romani +1
Averni -1
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 5
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 22
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 18
Sweboz: 12
I don't know about city life, but life on the land from the 4th century onwards was far from free. While the first 2 or 3 centuries of the empire were a golden age of stability and prosperity, the increasingly large tax burden of maintaining huge armies for civil wars and border protection and several other factors resulted resulted in a spiral of stagnation. Economics as a science did not exist, so the emperors sat idly by, until Diocletianos and after him Constantine came with the "solution" of introducing what can be described as a state of martial law. The empire became a despotic police state, the dominate (versus the earlier principate) Basicly, it was aimed at statism. Everyone was to be kept at their place. Serfs were tied to their soil and deprived of any possibility to resettle, so entire generations worked the same job at the same place, paying taxes. Social mobility came at a screeching halt. The conditions of the peasants were so bad, that they were called servi (hence serf), the unfree, wich formerly was only used to designate slaves.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
That said, Rome's history is certainly fascinating even if if it isn't the utopia it's made out to be.
Sorry if I have given you that picture im against good debate. Actually if I wouldnt enjoy this debate I would not give it my opinion :bow:Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
In my opinion Roman rule in conqured regions, and later European colonism have much similarity. Romans exploited conquered people with heavy taxes and slaving them that made their living quite hard.
Roman governors were allowed to do almost anything with native population as long riots were controlled and taxes brought back to Rome. This lead many times Roman invaders showing their brute force to civils in region with cruel, and bloody way. So yes, I think we can say Rome was terrorizing conquered land in some degree. If not actually terrorizing, at least showing their strenght with cruel hand once in a while to keep rebellions at bay.
Especially in later periods it wasnt only conquered nations that suffered fom Roman rule. Peasants and lower classes of actual city of Rome had also heavy taxes, poor conditions for living, criminality and disease to make their lives quite hard. Only if you were important person your murder meant anything and unemployment was big problem in ancient Rome.
I would say that Rome had lot to offer those who had some wealth, for working class, everyday must had been a struggle inside walls of Rome.
Just my opinions, I might be completely wrong as Im not professor in this subject or anything.
Well you could replace "Roman" with just about any occupying power in above statement throughout history so no news there and since they(the romans) were the ones that made sure that their version got told a lot more no wonder that is the more popular version (just look at Iraq coverage by CNN and AlJazeerait's like 2 different planets).Quote:
Originally Posted by Ragabash
This is the point i'm trying to make... Everybody treated their conquered peoples harshly in those days... And for a lot of people their own governors treated them harshly.. All men back then had the duty to serve in their nations armed forces for periods of time... Just look at how badly the spartans treated their slaves, for example, or how the Gauls slaughtered the city of Rome when they conquered it... Everybody did this stuff, and everybody who wasn't born rich in the ancient/medieval period had a very hard life, no matter where the hell they came from, whether they were part of an empire of part of a 'free' people... It's the way life works... In parts of the world today slaves are still being used, people have life so hard that they die from hunger/thirst, it has been like this always, and will always be like this.Quote:
Originally Posted by stalin
So why paint the Romans as being the most evil people of ancient times? It's not their fault entirely that the peoples of their empire had a hard time... It's how life works. There are unfortunate people who are likely to die before the age of 30... There are the middle class who can live comfortably (compared to the lower) and there is the upper class who is lucky enough to be born with wealth and have an easy work stress free life ahead of them... It's like this under every nation, even in modern America there are homeless people who can't afford to live... So stop painting the Romans as the doers of all evil within the ancient world.
It's like looking back fondly at the greeks and Athens as being the cradle of democracy and forgetting that 90 % of the population couldn't vote since they were slaves or women
Dayve, I know Rome is not only nation to do this in history. I was just giving my opinion regarding this post you made before.
It was my point to show that it wasnt under Roman rule when Western Europe flourished. Rome didnt brought unification to conquered nations, it brought only slaving, murdering and exploiting of these lands. Actually I could debate that Rome tried to kept western europe as ununified as possible to keep alliances of western europe at bay and this way stopping possible rebellions.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
What I tried, was to give you my view of what Rome was really like. Not like it was ideal empire of prosperity in all nations under it living in a "golden age" with no conflicts or misery, while conquered nations were civilized in roman ways and started to build cities now, instead of mud huts, while chasing mooses with their wooden clubs.
Does this make Rome evil, in my opinion no. Did Rome brought prosperity and golden age to regions under it, again no.
Rome was an empire of great achievements and many flaws. That it what makes it so damn inresting to me.
well if it wasn't for the romans we'd all be worshipping Baal Milquart
Or perhaps any other pantheon out there. Saying that western europe would be under rule of carthage without Rome is quite long shot.Quote:
Originally Posted by stalin
Every great nation falls at some point, carthage wasnt any different from others, as it was proven in history. How can we tell what problems Carthage would had seen if there wasnt for Romans.
Well this conversation is taken straight out of Life of Brian which reminds me : without romans no christianity
I'm actually in aggreance with most of what you say, but when you say the Romans took with them slavery, most places they conquered were already used to hardships and slavery... So like Stalin said, this is nothing new whatsoever. And that the Romans had no golden age of prosperity... Well, they did... I forget which emperor it was, he lived a very long time, and under him the empire was unified, no civil wars, and prospered greatly... This i believe was Rome's golden age, sometime from 50AD-150AD... After which it began to slide down the slippery slope of no return...Quote:
Originally Posted by Ragabash
You say Rome was an empire of great achievements and many flaws... But has any empire ever been any different? No... All empires rise over a period of time, go through a golden age, reach their peak, and from that point slide down the same slope the Romans slid down... Until eventually corruption eats away and the empire at some point ceases to exist... But what sets the Roman empire aside from all the rest, is how it stayed so large for so long...
The Roman empire reached it's most impressive point at what, 50AD? And at what point did the empire split into two? I have no idea of this... But even when it split into two the eastern half were still Roman as the eastern lands had been under Roman control for so long... And the emperors were all of Roman descent, but before this, the Romans held onto this large impressive empire for so long before the western half eventually started to be so badly impacted by corruption and disloyalty that you can no longer consider it a superpower... But even after that point it continued to exist, and the eastern half went on to exist for like 500 years (my history of the Byzantine empire is almost nil) after the western half was ravaged by barbarians and ceased to exist as the Roman empire...
Sorry for rambling so much... But if we are to look at the Roman empire as backward, evil, corrupt and basically did no good for the world whatsoever, then we must look at every empire that has ever existed in the same light, as they all have the exact same thing in common... The people at the top are selfish, greedy, corrupt and power hungry...
Especially the current edition of Rome with Nero at the helmQuote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
I agree with you staling, that without romans we would not had christianity,in current scale, at least. Im not believer myself so I cant really tell you would that be positive or negative. What I know world wouldnt be the same.:book:Quote:
Originally Posted by stalin
EDIT:
Moved edited part to latest post!
Well the positives would be... No crusades in which hundreds of thousands were slaughtered in the name of the pope because they were 'enemies of christ', no Spanish inquisitions where countless numbers were slaughtered because they weren't christians...Quote:
Originally Posted by Ragabash
The positives of christianity... Well they do a lot to help the suffering of the people in places like Africa... But then again it is the west's fault that Africa is in the state it is in... Because of all the colonies and conquests there during the last 300 years... They have left it rotting and dying... And i honestly don't believe it will ever recover.
:laugh4:Quote:
Originally Posted by stalin
Yeah dubya is a bit of a Nero isn't he...
Wasnt Neros mother mainly reason why he got emperor seat?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
Dayve, edited post before to answer couple of your posts.
Thanks for great debate so far :bow: :bow: :bow:
To tell you the truth Raga... I don't know. I only became interested in Rome when R:TW was released... I was a fan of anything strategy, and this one looked like a real winner so i bought it... I've always been a fan of history but my main body of knowledge lies in the WW2 period... But over the last two years i've become fascinated with Rome and have been eating as much info about it as i can google... But one part of Rome i haven't studied so much yet, is it's emperors! :laugh4: So long story short, i have no idea if Nero's mother helped him into power... I know Nero was one of the crappier Roman emperors, introduced the fire tax everybody hated so much, and it's believed that the great fire of Rome was started by Nero himself so he could impose this tax and also buy up lots of cheap burned property, as i believe this was a hobby of his... Property buying.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ragabash
I also know he was a complete maniac... And that when he competed in chariot races, they used to give him the winning trophy, even though he never won one race... Also know him and his mother were both as corrupt as corrupt gets, used their power for selfish gains and didn't care whatsoever for the Roman people or the Roman empire... And i know he had the praetorian guard murder his mother, because didn't she try to have him killed?
But that's as far as my knowledge of Nero goes... :bow:
Yeah. Nero was complete maniac, its believed that he burned Rome just so he could build luxury bath mansion in replace burned region.
If I remember right he wasnt even emperors son, hes mother married emperor and made emperor to make Nero as his heir. Unfortunately Nero killed his mother becasue he didnt want to share power with her.
I moved couple answers to your posts to this reply from previous one. I think you missed them as I edited them there later on.
It doesnt mean that if civil wars didnt break out, conquered nations were united and happy current situation. It was Roman politics that made conquered nations to compete each other rather than common enemy Romans. Divide And Conquer was how Romans did it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
I was referring that conquered nations didnt benefit of Roman prosperity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ragabash
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
That's probably because all empires are exploitative and oppressive.
Surely not just the city of Rome benefitted from having an empire? The cities conquered were given all the technological advancements they lacked, like sewers and aquaducts and that good stuff... The quality of life must have improved with this in the conquered lands...
Isn't that the whole point of creating an empire? So you can exploit the conquered and improve the status of 'your' people, and also to make yourself a powerful man?Quote:
Originally Posted by QwertyMIDX
Anyway men, it's been a pleasure but i was up early today and after a hard days conquering, tis time for me to make one last march up the wooden hills to bedfordshire...
New day arrives
Romani +1
Averni -1
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 4
Baktria: 13
Casse: 13
Epeiros: 22
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 19
Sweboz: 12
If you look at what colonalism in 1500-1900 did to colonized regions you can see same pattern what romans did for their conquered regions. Rome exploited conquered countries same way as european countries later in Africa, America, India and far east.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
Rome considered themself as superior to conquered nations and it was mainly explotation of these lands what romans did. Of course some development happened in these regions, but it was only if romans got some benefit from it.
Casse -1
Epeiros +1
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 4
Baktria: 13
Casse: 12
Epeiros: 23
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 19
Sweboz: 12
Dayve help me take Averni out and I'll help you with (insert faction)
Romani -1
Iberia +1
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 4
Baktria: 13
Casse: 12
Epeiros: 23
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 10
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 18
Sweboz: 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dayve
Sure, and that why empires suck for the people who aren't running them. The Romans weren't a particularly awful empire (at least for their time period), but all empires are pretty awful.
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 4
Baktria: 13
Casse: 12
Epeiros: 23
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 10-1=9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 18+1=19
Sweboz: 12
Getai +1
Arverni -1
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 3
Baktria: 13
Casse: 12
Epeiros: 23
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 19
Sweboz: 12
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 3-1=2
Baktria: 13
Casse: 12
Epeiros: 23
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 17
Romani: 19+1=20
Sweboz: 12
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 2
Baktria: 13
Casse: 12
Epeiros: 23
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 17+1=18
Romani: 20-1=19
Sweboz: 12
Averni -1
Romani +1
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 1
Baktria: 13
Casse: 12
Epeiros: 23
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 18
Romani: 20
Sweboz: 12
Romani-1
Qarthadast+1
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 1
Baktria: 13
Casse: 12
Epeiros: 23
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 19
Romani: 19
Sweboz: 12
Arverni -1
Ptolemaioi +1
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 0
Baktria: 13
Casse: 12
Epeiros: 23
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 19
Romani: 19
Sweboz: 12
Romani -1
Epeiros +1
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Arverni: 0
Baktria: 13
Casse: 12
Epeiros: 24
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 15
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 19
Romani: 18
Sweboz: 12
Romani+1
Makedonia-1
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Baktria: 13
Casse: 12
Epeiros: 24
Getai: 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 14
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 19
Romani: 19
Sweboz: 12
Epeiros+1
Getai-1
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Baktria: 13
Casse: 12
Epeiros: 25
Getai: 15
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 14
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 19
Romani: 19
Sweboz: 12
Sorry Stalin i was in bed until now, Averni is already gone. Although i'll help you kill off another faction, you just keep voting for the Romani. :2thumbsup:
Anybody else that wants to join this alliance, speak now! :laugh4:
Aedui: 11
Arche Seleukeia: 12
Baktria: 13
Casse: 12
Epeiros: 25
Getai: 15 +1 = 16
Hayasdan: 11
Iberia: 9 -1 = 8
Koinon Hellenon: 15
Makedonia: 14
Ptolemaioi: 13
Qarthadast: 19
Romani: 19
Sweboz: 12
Easiest to concentrate on the weakest ones first. The empire building starts here