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And as their wealth was staggering, they could afford to build 'strong' more than most ancient civilizations and most of the conquerors just were assimilated ra
by mrkstu 5y ago
And as their wealth was staggering, they could afford to build 'strong' more than most ancient civilizations and most of the conquerors just were assimilated rather than wanting to tear it down to the dirt.
- valarauko 5y agoThe Romans weren't any more significantly wealthier than other contemporary Old World civilizations/empires - China, Persia, or India, for example. Conquerors being assimilated is a common theme that runs across most of these civilizations as well. However, monumental buildings that survive invading armies just tend to be dismantled/repurposed by the locals for the building material over time. I suspect that part of the reason for Roman monuments surviving is that the fall of Western Rome lead to an overall decrease in the urban population & subsequent demand for building materials. China, India, & Persia likely saw no such population decreases.
- Bayart 5y agoEvery single building that wasn't reused was dismantled for materials. Every single one. There's absolutely nothing special about Roman monuments.
- freewilly1040 5y agoTo take one example of repurposing, amphitheaters turned out to make pretty good mini-fortresses, so in some cases the town simply moved inside!