“To Romans I set no boundary

In space or time.  I have

Granted them dominion,

And it has no end.”

                       Virgil, The Aeneid

So what if it never ended?

I don’t know about you but I think about these things.  

If you think about this type of stuff as well you may want to read the book Roma Eterna by Robert Silverberg.

He writes of an empire that does not die but changes, adapts, and clings to the pagan gods.

You know how I judge a good book?  Well, for one thing its my second reading of it, and it was just as exciting as the first time I read it.  What’s more I stayed up rather late to read the whole thing.  If you can’t put it down…you know it’s good.

The only issues I have with the book is that it slightly opposes my view of what might actually happen if such a thing was possible.

Silverburg’s book in order to show the progression of Roman power and influence we have a continuous references to the emperor, to the consulship, to references to Roma, to names no matter what the century that reflects the Roman influence such as Apollinaris, Marcus Anatasius, Torgquatus, Laurelolus, and Rufus. 

As the centuries passed, as time moved on, the names would be less and less Roman sounding. 

I believe that names would begin to move away from latin roots over time, and Apollinaris would be most likely referred to as Pollo, or Laurelolus and Laurel.  And even the emperor himself would be more executive sounding as possible turning from emperor to the ‘Imperial Chief Executive’ or something like that. 

That’s just me.    

And why not an alternate world where the Senate turned into a version of the United Nations? 

It’s my believe that over time, the roman influence would be no more strange sounding to our ears as the fact of our own Senate, and Washington architecture that reflects the times of republican Rome.  

In my version of events what if the Imperial Power was shared in almost the same way as the current power of the Pontiff in Rome?  What if every twenty or 40 years a new emperor is chosen in a different part of the world?  A truly power sharing organization, where the seat of government shifts, and one person become the ‘Imperial Chief Executive’ and commands unlimited power.  Is this so much different that the Catholic Church and the College of Cardinals recent habit of choosing non-Italians to take the seat of pope? 

What if the pressure of the barbarian press on its borders subsided?  What if Atilla never pressed and the Goth’s did not seek asylum, and the chain reaction of people (the Alans, the Vandals, and the Bergundians) on the move did not take place?  What if decisions to allow certain people settle within the borders of Rome were reversed? 

I know this is in the area of fantasy…why even talk about it?  

We’ll for one reason its fun.

What if Rome survived?   I know…impossible.  Every civilization that rises to flex itself and make itself felt in the world ebbs and eventually wanes. 

Greece rose to power while looking in the face of the Persians. 

Rome rose to dominate the Mediterranean world. 

And various Assyrian, and Babylonians had their time to dominate the world, only to recede. 

Look at China.  At one time a huge ancient Empire – one of the oldest civilizations – a dominant ancient kingdom that fell from power, to be dominated by western powers (google boxer rebellion), attacked by Japanese Imperial Forces only to step recently onto the world stage and continues to grow and make its presence felt.   

And what about us – the AMEERICANs (sic)?

 I happen to have a more upbeat look to the future -  believing firmly the American Golden Age is still on its way.   We Americans have survived meeting Goliaths in the world before, and have always managed to guide that rock to the forehead when someone got in our way.    

 Anyway, we move faster! 

 Democracies have too!

 Roma Eterna is for anyone that is a ‘What If” fan of science fiction and the fantasy genre. 

 What if Rome tried to conquer the New World?

 What if a Roman armada that circumvents the globe bringing destruction on native island people? 

 And what if a world tired of an endless stream of emperors rises up to install a republic that takes over and ends the imperial line, only to have Roman power to remain?

 What if a strange old man is found living in a German forest lodge, who strangely looks like the child of the final emperor? 

 And finally what if a Jewish sect decides another Exodus is needed and the only place left to follow the new Profit is the stars?

 Give it a read.

 Is it on the Ancient Rome Refocused bookshelf?  Not yet, still looking for a copy to permanently place there, and the book that I took out of the library is way overdue.

by Rob Cain

Now on the Ancient Rome Refocused Bookshelf

I rate a book by whether I simply read it or I devour it.  This I devoured.  

Empire is the story of a family who are eyewitnesses to the glory and the decadence of the Emperors spanning 4 generations from 14 A.D. to 141 B.C.  Over time the Pinarius family see murder, mayhem, and even the burning of Rome itself in the great fire.  They are not untouched by it.  One generation is molested by Caligula, one dies by his own hand at the final days of Nero. 

It is a wild ride. Saylor is known for his Roma Sub Rosa series starring Gordianus the finder.  Normally his ‘detective’ works in a small microcosm of alleyway and lamp lit rooms investigating thieves, thugs and the famous (Cicero, Caesar, etc) only moving as far and wide as he can walk, ride or sail from his beloved Rome.  But in the book Empire we sweep across the generations, seeing a city, its empire and its emperors change through the eyes of a single family.

Early in the book the Pinarius brothers (twins) go their separate ways.  In the time of Nero one brother is the emperor’s favorite and the other a Christian in the shadows.   Many authors (especially Lloyd C. Douglas – The Robe, and Lew Wallace – Ben-Hur) held no secrets that their novels were settings of tales for the coming of Christianity.  Saylor’s book has an entirely deciding different track.  Saylor brings us Rome unvarnished and clean of 20^th or 21^st Century sensibilities.  We are seeing ancient Rome through pagan eyes, through the pagan temperament, and through the Roman Psyche.  

A scene in the book is the great fire of Rome (remember Nero fiddling as Rome burned?).  Titus the proper patrician seeks out his Christian brother living in the Christian quarter.  It is hard thing to watch a city that you love destroyed, a fire that threatens your home and the memory of your ancestors, and witness your brother shout: “…the end of all things.  Praise God!”  

What would your reaction be?  I mean as a Roman. 

“Watching the gruesome punishments of the arsonist gave Titus no pleasure, but it was his somber duty as a citizen, and as friend of the emperor to witness the event.”

Emperor Nero

For a moment I thought I had picked up a horror story instead of an historical novel.  Nero rounds up the Christians to take the fall, and makes a speech quite legal, quite logical, quite sensible before dogs rip people apart in retribution, or as the Roman’s might say “proper punishment.”   Saylor describes humiliations dressed up in ancient myth ending in death for the condemned.  He describes Christians used as human torches for the ‘convenience’ of the crowd so that the games can continue into the night.   It is then Saylor masterly changes the perspective, and for a moment I too was in the arena.   I literally felt a chill down my spine, a reaction frankly I did not expect.   I only felt this once before and that was while reading Stephen King’s novel: IT.

This epic switches to Lucius, another son of the Pinarius line.  We now stand next to him as he viewed the opening of the Flavius Amphitheater (known today as the coliseum) and are provided a seat to see an unapologetic presentation of slaughter for the amusement of the crowd.   The slaughter is presented proudly, and how else ancient Romans describe such a spectacle?   It represents power, the unquestionable demonstration that the Roman people are favored in the eyes of the gods. 

Saylor would be the first to say: “It’s all about the emperors.” If you’re a fan of the Augustus, Vespasian, Trajan and Hadrian pull up a chair.  If you’re a fan of the more colorful emperors such as Claudius and Caligula, there is plenty to read.   Empire is well researched and certainly entertaining. 

Saylor opens the book with an interesting quote from Gustave Le Bon who studied the psychology of crowds:

“History is scarcely capable of preserving the memory of anything except the myths.”

Why would Saylor pick this quote to open his book? 

I suppose it has to do with context.  Le Bon lived during a period where the word ‘Emperor’ was still fresh in peoples’ minds.  He saw a tendency for historians to mythologize Napoleon Bonaparte – a man that brought great destruction upon the continent of Europe and had power equal to any Roman emperor.    

However, Saylor presents raw and undiluted narratives of the emperors, and he supports it with research from the works of Seutonius, Plutarch and Tacitius.    He avoids mythologizing them, but lays them out warts and all. 

I highly recommend this book to the listeners of Ancient Rome Refocused.  It’s hard to put down and keeps your attention like listening to a good storyteller at the Esquiline Gate.

Title: "The 24th Shitkickers Were Never The Same After The Peloponnese"

If you talk about the Romans you have to talk about the Greeks. This episode explores the ancient Greek play AJAX written by Sophocles. Included in this episode are interviews with Bryan Doerries, director and translator for the New York based THEATER OF WAR acting troupe.

MP3 File

I just received in the mail Steven Saylor’s new book: EMPIRE.  I got 4 days off coming up and I’m going to spend the time reading the book.  Look for a review here on Ancient Rome Refocused in the coming weeks.