Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Roman Bloodlust
#1
I'm frequently suprised when watching roman-era programs, that the writers/producers cant<br>
be bothered to notice that the romans were actually more civilized than most of their neighbor<br>
cultures were. i'm sure you all have heard the familiar 'the romans liked to watch the bloody dismemberment of the gladiators' type theme. it bugs me. besides, is modern culture so different when I can turn on<br>
the 'worlds worst car chases' or 'when animals attack' programs? <p></p><i></i>
Reply
#2
Gaius, the Romans were cruel by nature. Beneath the veneer of "civilization" lies one of the most barbaric races in history. <p></p><i></i>
Reply
#3
Avete, omnes!<br>
<br>
A Barca wrote:<br>
<br>
>Gaius, the Romans were cruel by nature. Beneath the veneer >of "civilization" lies one of the most barbaric races in history.<br>
<br>
The human race? <blink, blink><br>
<br>
Scythius<br>
<br>
Decanus~CON~II<br>
LEG~IX~HISP<br>
(USA) <p></p><i></i>
Adam MacDonald

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.legio-ix-hispana.org">www.legio-ix-hispana.org
Reply
#4
The Romans were barbaric and really bad! Civilized? Ha! They were the worst. Instead the Carthaginians were so wonderful. We all weep for their demise. The Celts, Gauls were really nice. Ah, the good old days when men and women were so happy and content to dress like Asterix and his friends. And the Germans? Weren't they so sweet? They just wanted to run around in the wild forests, one with nature, and pick flowers. Isn't that their favorite passtime even now? The Assyrians, Mongols, Turks... they weren't really bad, they were just misunderstood.<br>
<br>
Sorry. Its difficult for me to continue to be idiotic. I envy those with a natural talent. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/ugoffredo.showPublicProfile?language=EN>goffredo</A> at: 1/4/02 11:11:03 am<br></i>
Jeffery Wyss
"Si vos es non secui of solutio tunc vos es secui of preciptate."
Reply
#5
We're all cruel by nature. I think it takes a little more than pure barbarism to stick around for a thousand years.<br>
<br>
Bullfights and pro hockey are pretty civilized, aren't they? Go get 'em, Fredo! <p></p><i></i>
Reply
#6
yep, I guess I do loose my patience easily.<br>
Got to study Buddhism and learn to let things slide over...<br>
<br>
p.s. I like the nickname Fredo<br>
Goffredo is Jeffery (or Jeffrey) so the english version of the nickname would be Fery or Frey. Hmmm sounds better in Italian<br>
<p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/ugoffredo.showPublicProfile?language=EN>goffredo</A> at: 1/4/02 6:09:23 pm<br></i>
Jeffery Wyss
"Si vos es non secui of solutio tunc vos es secui of preciptate."
Reply
#7
What is striking about the "blooodlust" of the Romans is that some of those "blodthirsty" Romans already considered gladiatorial games a revolting tradition.<br>
When Caesar bragged about annihilating 400.000 (Caesar's figures) Germans, some of those bloodthirsty Romans were so shocked that they suggested to cut his head off and send it to the survivors as an apology. Of course it was political. The important fact is that political or not, it was at that time an acceptable argument for some "bleeding heart liberal" Romans.<br>
And while all this bloodlust was going on, the marvellous, nature-loving Gauls were delicately decorating their homes with the heads of their enemies, or turned them into deliciously crafted drinking cups, after apparently indulging into ceremonies which may have consisted in the ritual dismemberment of the bodies.<br>
I didn't mention the human sacrifices, the systematic massacre of POW's and evidence of cannibalism found recently in northern France and dated from the La Tene period.<br>
Everything is relative, said Einstein. Relatively to us, the Romans were a violent inhuman and cruel culture. Relatively to their neighbours, they were an advanced humanistically minded culture. <p></p><i></i>
Reply
#8
Boxing has quite a following in the civilized world and then there is bullfighting.<br>
<br>
A friend of mine attended a Spanish bullfight and said the first time it is unsettling. But with exposure it becomes exhilirating when you get caught up in the frenzy of the crowd.<br>
<br>
Maybe "mob mentality" is something we cannot escape. Watching an event from afar is an objective and cerebral affair.....but when you are in the midst of an event it may be far more difficult to remove yourself when your emotions (fear, arousal, anger, etc) are controlling. <p></p><i></i>
Reply
#9
So right! Placing events in proper context reveals Rome was, at worst, as bad as the baddest and, at best, far better than the rest. There is little excitement to be derived from a movie with the army building roads that connected a vast empire. There is no angst to be gathered in portraying Roman law delivered to people who previously lived at the whim of tribal kings.<br>
<br>
And, compared to their Greek predecessors, Rome is revealed to have provided common cause for disparate peoples whereas the Greek city states seldom found common cause save for wars with each other or against Persia.<br>
<br>
A thousand years hence America may well be regarded as barbaric for practicing capital punishment. Or, perhaps, fondly remembered for promoting freedom around the world. Seen thru a glass darkly it will be the former. With proper perspective the latter shall prevail. <p></p><i></i>
Reply
#10
a people's collective mindset is a product of their times and their environment. we are all very enlightened<br>
and such, but the fact is that despite kind wishes to the contrary, human life is not always as valued as our civilized minds tell us it should be. in many places in the world today, one can find examples of how the relative value of a human life is very small. in the case of crimes committed, people can lose their lives for a small amount of money. if I'm killed by a criminal for the three dollars in my wallet, to him my life is obviosly worht three dollars, right? it's us ' enlightened, cerebral' types that value it more than this. Now is not two<br>
thousand years ago, and none of us is actually shaped by the then current morality of the roman empire. historians must judge things like this from the Roman perspective, not ours. <p></p><i></i>
Reply
#11
The romans where no cruler then annyone else in their times I mean the Carthagians sacrificed children the Egyptians married and killed their own fammily members besides they didnt use weapons of mass destruction like we cilvilised people these days do, they (supposedly) didnt know better we on the other hand do and are still as, perhaps even more cruel <p></p><i></i>
Reply
#12
Read & re-read the accounts of what the Romans have done. It's so simple. That they were advanced & made a greater contribution to humanity that's true, but that does not efface or soften their barbarism. In all periods of history they are cruel & brutal, which makes it worse because they were supposed to be the most civilized & enlightened of their time. <p></p><i></i>
Reply
#13
The romans weren't out to be the nice guys. the collective mindset of the times said that what they did was completely justifiable, and their enemies wouldn't have hesitated to have used those tactics either. <p></p><i></i>
Reply


Forum Jump: