Researchers often insist that empires themselves are not so "tenacious", sooner or later they face a difficult and terrible process - disintegration. This is the inevitable one that needs to be recognized and the lessons learned. And there are more of them from the Roman Empire than we think.
Overseas slaves won't work for you forever
In Rome, an amazing system operated, according to which in the country, and especially in the capital, it was not the Romans themselves who worked, but foreign slaves. A huge proportion of the things produced were made by their hands, which actually left the Roman citizens themselves without work. But not all the indigenous people of Rome could boast of prosperity, and many even lived on government subsidies and charitable distributions.
Researchers compare this to the current economy, in which giant companies use absurdly cheap labor. It is found in countries such as China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and so on. In addition, it is preferable to hire migrants for hard work, because they will most likely be paid two to three times less than local laborers.
Such a system cannot last forever. In the Roman Empire, for example, slaves began to riot. And the Romans themselves, seized by the ideas of Christianity, gradually began to condemn the slave system. But in those days, slave labor was the basis of the economy, and its elimination meant the elimination of almost the entire economy.
Obesity does not evoke much sympathy
Once Seneca witnessed the feast of the emperor Nero and his friends. Then the famous philosopher for the first time faced literally a nauseating phenomenon: the rich heroes of the feast several times during the evening caused themselves to vomit in order to be able to eat as much as possible. Meanwhile, a huge number of people in Rome suffered from malnutrition.
Many people compare this seemingly wild phenomenon with the society of modern consumption. Many people suffer from obesity due to too frequent and voluminous food intake, and many products are simply thrown away. Meanwhile, there are a huge number of those in the world who need this food.
The nouveau riche always forgot where they came from
At the time when Rome was a republic, the country had one large-scale problem - the struggle between patricians, that is, aristocrats, and plebeians. Both received their status at birth, but for the plebeians, this status was rather a stigma because of which they could not break out into the people.
As in the modern world, plebeians sought equalizing rights with aristocrats and were even allowed to vote. They voted for their plebeian politician and waited for him to finally help all other plebeians get out of the financial hole. However, this did not happen. And the newly wealthy plebeians were not very helpful to their old friends. They just squandered their money and enjoyed the life of rich people. I am sure you yourself will draw parallels.
Debtors are easier to manipulate
After the Romans lost Gaul in a battle with the barbarians, the government had to think about strengthening the army. It was decided to raise taxes, because of which the unsecured population of the empire went bankrupt, and soon found itself in such debts that could not be paid. Now, the only thing the people of Rome asked for was debt cancellation. And politicians began to flirt with them, promising "bread and circuses" - entertainment, food and debt cancellation.
The plebeians trying to feed their families were in such a desperate situation that they did not care what the politician was going to do. The only thing that worried them was debt relief. So they started voting for populist leaders like Julius Caesar and Caesar Augustus. As the bread and circuses continued to be present, the plebeians weren't too worried when the elections were canceled.
The fall of an empire doesn't happen overnight
Rome did not die in fire and ashes. He died quietly for hundreds of years from dozens of decisions that probably seemed like great ideas at the time.
Due to religious and economic issues, serious disagreements began between the two parts of the empire. They ended in 364, when the country was officially divided into two different states. 100 years later, the Western Empire fell completely under the rule of the barbarians, and the borders of European states began to vaguely resemble their modern outlines.
The eastern part of the empire - Byzantium - existed for over 1000 years after the split. She survived the Sassanian wars, Muslim conquests and even the Crusades before being finally swallowed up by the Ottoman Empire.
It took 1000 years for Rome to finally die. It ceased to be the largest superpower for more than one instant, the decline lasted for centuries. Roman life changed gradually, and most people probably did not realize that they were experiencing the fall of an empire.
The authors of many works on the Roman Empire, with surprising consistency, come to the same conclusion, and it concerns us today: countries will not die as a result of one big bang. They will simply get bogged down in wars that cannot be won and economic problems that they cannot deal with. And we, as people and as parts of these countries, will slowly get to the point where we become just a chapter in a history textbook.
