tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976144462093297473.post8504977401132937206..comments2024-03-26T19:10:00.791-04:00Comments on West Coast Stat Views (on Observational Epidemiology and more): Modern WarJosephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10760453165301871031noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6976144462093297473.post-53463730901949592322014-12-27T22:21:41.374-05:002014-12-27T22:21:41.374-05:00The general thrust of the piece is correct but the...The general thrust of the piece is correct but the reference to Rome is dead wrong. The Romans didn't plunder resources and/or convert the people and production into a sort of "lebensraum" factory. The Romans built Romans. They developed their colonies, made them prosperous, encouraged their trade, encouraged and built cities, encouraged investment. <br /><br />Some ancient empires did this. Athens did with its colonies in Italy, though on a smaller scale. Rome is the only great example in the West of an Empire that sought to make its people Roman, that sought to integrate them into the Roman fabric. <br /><br />Most places were glad for it. Southern Gaul became so Roman they still call it Provence. Britain was happily Roman. The barbarians who wrecked things were the bad guys, not the Romans.<br /><br />The wars with the Jews, for example, weren't about conquest but about Roman assertion of Roman values - particularly Roman civic "Gods", which are hard to understand today. The Jews didn't want to be Romanized but they were very happy to be Romans, at least outside of the zealots in Judaea. Estimates are 10% of the Eastern Empire was Jewish, with higher numbers in the cities. I've always found it interesting that Rome itself was perhaps 10% Jewish when Titus destroyed Jerusalem, meaning there were Jews watching the parade we see on the grand Arch.<br /><br />Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01372307486851772345noreply@blogger.com