Day 8 - The Empire

The trip to Rome awoke on me an interest in learning more about the greatest Empire the world has ever seen. I did a bit of research and bought an excellent book. The book is called "Ancient Rome - The rise and fall of an empire" written by a Simon Baker.

It really makes compelling reading, mixing the known historical facts with well informed hypothesis to cover the gaps.

We all know quite a lot about the Roman civilization, probably more than we think we do without giving it a deep thought:

We all know something or other about Julius Cesar and the fact he was murdered by his adopted son Brutus. But do you recall this happening because he became a dictator after gaining power having, as a successful general, marched into Rome, something no general had ever dared do until then?

We have all heard the myth of Romulus and Remo and how they were raised by a wolf. We know about Nero, the crazy emperor; about the gladiators and the games, and so on…

Reading this book, however, you will learn how Rome started by the merging of the tribes occupying it's famous 7 hills. How it was initially ruled by 3 kings until the creation of the Republic and the Imperium, to be governed by 2 elected consuls. You will be enlightened about the early conflicts between the Patricians and the plebs and the conquering of Italy and adjacent territories. You will read about the 3 Punic wars fought against the Carthaginians for different reasons and at different points in history.

You will also discover an Empire that was created based on treaties and wars in the name of freedom (and initially self defence). All based on an ingrained principle of "fides", the ability to keep one's word. But you will also learn about how the Senate became corrupt due to the Consuls and the most influential families (Cornellius Scipius, Aemilius Paullus and the Gracchus) never ending desire for greater glory and land.

You will read about Hannibal and the resistance from Numantia; about the Greek Phalanxes and about the land reform that Tiberius Gracchus the young introduced by defying the Senate, a revolutionary act that ultimately costed him his life.

There is much more to learn, but I have yet to do this myself as I only started the book yesterday... Fascinating

Day 7 - The Pizza Analogy

An analogy like this could only have been inspired by a visit to the Eternal City:

On trying to understand the universe we are not that different to a 3 year old inside a vast restaurant kitchen, with all its utensils and ingredients, attempting to guess how on earth a nice pepperoni pizza was put together in this place.

We know there is flour involved, we are on the verge of discovering water might also be a key ingredient (we know not it is best to use it warm and mixed with salt and yeast) and we kind of suspect the oven in the corner might have something to do with it too. But with many missing ingredients and no recipe whatsoever how will we know what else is missing and that one, for example, should not to put the flour in the oven until it has been mixed with the water?

Will we ever get there?

PS: Rome was great (SPQR - Senatus Populusque Romanus)