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Kit Karlsson's avatar

Thank you for this thought-provoking article. I personally find ancient history fascinating and it bothers me that none of these dude-bros seem to know that other (arguably more impressive) empires/regimes/mythological figures existed. Like why not name your kid Ashurbanipal or Quetzalcoatl?? Lol.

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Thomas Stone's avatar

Great post! I would argue that many of these contemporary arguments for decline were motivated by cultural changes and the perceived corruption of traditional Roman values (mos maiorum) caused by the acquisition of the provinces and the transition to Empire. Cultural assimilation, particularly the effect of Hellenization, led many to feel they were genuinely losing something of the old Rome. Augustus’ social legislation was designed to arrest these changes, particularly among the upper classes. The decay was a slow process, and Rome’s military and economic might allowed it to endure for centuries. Still, few would argue that the Rome of late antiquity possessed anything close to the social cohesion of the republican period. While I do think there are some parallels to our current situation, I agree with you that many making such comparisons today do so primarily for political effect.

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