Nearly 2 millennia, and it was itself preceded by quite a few centuries by the Code of Ur-Nammu. That's not to say there's not a grain of truth in this perspec

Nearly 2 millennia, and it was itself preceded by quite a few centuries by the Code of Ur-Nammu. That's not to say there's not a grain of truth in this perspective. My impression is that Romans were notable for their pioneering work in the field of what could best be described as "civic pride" - the sense that "civilization" represented progress, the idea of the state as a kind of collective project that elevates everyone and that we should all be proud to participate in. They probably weren't the first to think like this - history is long - but they were the last to do so in a largely secular fashion in the West for a long time, and certainly directly influenced the thoughts of the Enlightenment thinkers who eventually inspired the American Revolution. S.P.Q.R.