08-06-2006, 03:59 AM
Quote: I agree, that's really the heart of it, Peroni. The Roman Empire was very socialistic in many ways and hindered innovation - as Tarbicus quite correctly observed, IMO
I am surprised you can come to that result especially since the examples Peromi notes are basically not supportive of his conclusion. Exactly how did it (the Roman Empire) hinder innovation?
Peroni is basically repeating the very out of context and misleading use of two points of literary evidence that M I Finely used in his now canonical (and polemical) attacks on innovation and technology in the Classical World. Read the text of Seuetonius I posted I see no anti technology mindset in Vespasian.
As for the multiple variants of the ‘unbreakable glass story’ really now unbreakable glass; call me a cynical skeptic but 2000 years later unbreakable is still a fantasy. I am sorry we are dealing with a morality story not a viable peace of evidence for Roman attitudes toward actual technology.
Paul Klos
\'One day when I fly with my hands -
up down the sky,
like a bird\'
\'One day when I fly with my hands -
up down the sky,
like a bird\'
