Liberal Forum

Vegas » 11 Jul 2024, 1:06 pm » wrote: ↑

11 Jul 2024, 1:06 pm

I have never considered this perspective and it makes sense. 

The roman empire never really fell. The city did, but not the empire. It just became a church. The Vatican, with a stash of money below it. The Vatican arguably has the same magnitude of power that the Roman Empire had. Different kind of power, but the magnitude and influence on the world is the same. 

Britain's empire never fell. It just became a bank. America broke free, but they kept the money and still has influence on the world. 

We consider America an empire. We say that our empire will soon end. However, what if the American empire already ended and we didn't know it. It isn't an empire, it's now the central headquarters for corporations that are running the world.

Romans were a people. An ethnic group. Traditionally they were not really Christian and the roman empire only became Christian after the roman people no longer controlled it. I would say the empire itself died around 200 ad when emperor Caracella decided that anyone can be roman. The conquest of Rome in 410 was just a natural direct consequence of that because nobody felt the empire was really theirs anymore so there was no reason to defend it.

The fact an institution, like the church, can appear before an empire is dead and continues to last after its extinction does not imply that there is any meaningful connection between the two. In fact, Rome is not given much respect by the Christian religion.