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Old 12-23-2012, 09:50 PM   #16 (permalink)
cfg83
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redyaris -

Quote:
Originally Posted by redyaris View Post
The decline and fall of Empires... the trejectory is sooo similar. Ask yourself this question, "How did The Roman Empire manage to last as long as it did?"
I'm not sure what *the* reason was but here is one nice one :

Ancient Digger Archaeology: Monday Ground Up: Why was the Roman Empire so long-lived?
Quote:
In a five hundred year span, the Roman Empire managed to rise and fall in tandem, yet with the advent of highly credentialed political leaders and a vision to see the straighter path, the empire grew larger, and the people with it. Never had the western world been more organized and more united. In 100 A.D. you could travel on paved roads from Egypt to France using one currency and only a passport and by 200 A.D. there were over 50,000 miles of roads constructed by the Romans [6]. The vast Roman Empire mustered up the largest army the world had ever seen and its political exploits lay the platform for our founding fathers.

The Rise of the Roman Empire (Penguin Classics)In my opinion, Rome’s geographic location and the success of its military encouraged a concentration of politics in the capital, and many experts agree. The “practical engineering skill of the Romans furnished the Empire with the necessary arteries, the famous Roman roads, all radiating from the heart, carrying Roman civilization and life to the farthest limits of Europe” [8]. A combination of law and engineering, military force, and social legislation to combat political fragmentation along with exceptional leaders, allowed the long lived Roman Empire to become one of the greatest superpowers the world has ever seen.
With that said, I think a modern Roman Empire would only last 100 or 200 years max in our current era. I say that because I don't think any ancient society can be directly compared to post-Industrial revolution based societies. The rules have changed.

CarloSW2
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