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The Romans managed to accomplish very little in 1,000 years considering the extent of their empire. The Greeks contributed much more than the Romans in a shorte

The Romans managed to accomplish very little in 1,000 years considering the extent of their empire. The Greeks contributed much more than the Romans in a shorter time frame and with much less land, power etc. The reason Romans are romanticized is they are the ones who brought civilization to Norther Europe. (more or less. Or, at least, these is what Europeans themselves thought.). These Europeans then created the scientific and industrial revolutions (almost 1,000 years after the fall of Rome, I should note.) Rome also spread Christianity to Europe and maintained control over the Christian religion in Europe via the Pope. So it makes sense that people romanticize Rome because they see it as the predecessor of Europe. Even though Rome itslef is actually not that great, even if we accept that it spread civilization to Europe.

mr_toad 2y ago
> The Romans managed to accomplish very little in 1,000 years considering the extent of their empire. Yes, apart from the aqueducts, the sanitation, the roads, the wine, public health, public baths, public order, cheese, medication, law, education and entertainment the Romans accomplished very little.
- gattilorenz 2y ago
  What about bringing peace?
  - BehindBlueEyes 2y ago
    Oh, peace? SHUT UP! ;)
- fngjdflmdflg 2y ago
  You are saying that sarcastically but that actually is very little. Compare the advancements from the 1,000 year prior, even just by the Greeks in Mathematics (Pythagoras, Euclid, Diophantus etc.) science (Aristotle), philosophy (Plato, many others) technology (Archimedes, killed by a Roman soldier) and astronomy. None of the things you mention are really hard problems. The fact is that the Romans were anti-intellectual and only cared about building which is not that hard. Also the Romans did not invent cheese or wine. Compare also with the Babylonians. Compare also the advancements made from 1200 in Europe.
  - e_y_ 2y ago
    It's a reference to Monty Python's Life of Brian ("What have the Romans ever done for us?" asks one character)
    - fngjdflmdflg 2y ago
      Ok. But it is sarcastic in the Monty Python skit as well, and the argument is being made to the same effect. The same low quality Monty Python joke was in a previous Rome thread I posted in: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38765525 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38765525

mr_toad 2y ago

> The Romans managed to accomplish very little in 1,000 years considering the extent of their empire. Yes, apart from the aqueducts, the sanitation, the roads, the wine, public health, public baths, public order, cheese, medication, law, education and entertainment the Romans accomplished very little.

gattilorenz 2y ago
What about bringing peace?
- BehindBlueEyes 2y ago
  Oh, peace? SHUT UP! ;)
fngjdflmdflg 2y ago
You are saying that sarcastically but that actually is very little. Compare the advancements from the 1,000 year prior, even just by the Greeks in Mathematics (Pythagoras, Euclid, Diophantus etc.) science (Aristotle), philosophy (Plato, many others) technology (Archimedes, killed by a Roman soldier) and astronomy. None of the things you mention are really hard problems. The fact is that the Romans were anti-intellectual and only cared about building which is not that hard. Also the Romans did not invent cheese or wine. Compare also with the Babylonians. Compare also the advancements made from 1200 in Europe.
- e_y_ 2y ago
  It's a reference to Monty Python's Life of Brian ("What have the Romans ever done for us?" asks one character)
  - fngjdflmdflg 2y ago
    Ok. But it is sarcastic in the Monty Python skit as well, and the argument is being made to the same effect. The same low quality Monty Python joke was in a previous Rome thread I posted in: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38765525 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38765525