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I saw a great show last night on the History Channel called The Battle for Rome. Decent special effects, good acting, great sets, and much more than the 10 or so extras you might see in a “battle” sequence in other historical event depictions.So anyway, the show gave various episodes in the history of ancient Rome. One of these was Vespasian's conquest of Rome and his subsequent sending of his son, Titus, to Jerusalem. It occurred to me that the Romans replaced skill and strategy with brute force. They surrounded Jerusalem and could not get past her walls. The walls were simply too high, too deep, and too thick. The Romans also could not starve the Jews out because food was still being sent in somehow. So what does Titus do? He builds a 4-mile wall around Rome to make sure nothing gets in (or out)! A little over-the-top, don't you think? Whereas the Jews were ingenious when they dug a tunnel under their own wall to burn the Roman siege tower, the Romans used predictable warfare techniques to defeat the Jews. And of course, as well all know the Romans sacked Jerusalem and the temple. I didn't know how the Romans had acted during the siege, but now that I know I think I've lost a little respect for them. I thought they would have used more intelligence in their siege.
The rise and fall of Rome certainly had everything to do with its leaders and military leaders. They assumed that they were invincible, which turned out to be a deadly assumption.
The rise and fall of Rome certainly had everything to do with its leaders and military leaders. They assumed that they were invincible, which turned out to be a deadly assumption.
Well in terms of their external enemies, the Romans were pretty much invincible. It's when they turned on themselves and stagnated culturally, the barbarian hordes overwhelmed them. The same process occurred in the Eastern Empire and the Turks chopped away at them.
Well in terms of their external enemies, the Romans were pretty much invincible. It's when they turned on themselves and stagnated culturally, the barbarian hordes overwhelmed them. The same process occurred in the Eastern Empire and the Turks chopped away at them.
Good post Donnie. Do you think thats a common theme in the decline of most empires?
Good post Donnie. Do you think thats a common theme in the decline of most empires?
Absolutely. Not much to do with one's empire after all has been conquered but to begin quarreling among themselves and get fat and lazy……or discover a wonderful new religion like Christianity that changes the entire course of the empire. 😉
I would agree that not only is it a common theme in civilizations on a large scale but also right down to a small scale of a marriage.
