"There was once a dream that was Rome...

[Protagoras]

"There was once a dream that was Rome, you could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish. It was so fragile and I fear that it will not survive the winter."

spoke the aging Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator. And he was right...it didn't.


For some reason this is echoing in my brain today.

[chicagiana]

1. Well yeah, "dream" is correct ...

Rome was never what you would describe as a "progressive" society. It was a brutal society in which plebians were little better than dirt. It was a brutal society in which compassion was viewed as a vice.

The "Republic" was there to protect the landed nobles. It merely gave lip service to the plebs to keep them compliant.

I think modern Republicans would be very much at home in ancient Rome. The values are about the same.

[Protagoras]

2. Not really thinking about this as a historical

critique of Roman civil rights. I think, perhaps I was sensing something a bit deeper. Something about the fragile nature of our dreams and how we are not the first country to seek to "rise above" and yet fall below due to corruption and struggle from within.

And it appears to be that Modern Republicans are very much at home in present day America...so perhaps the parallel is apt.

but like I stated in the OP...it's just something echoing around...I'm sure it's open to many interpretations...in this case I just find it poignant in several ways.

[xchrom]

3. dream indeed.

imagine defending spying on the people -- yeah -- that's a government for the people and by the people.