The last Romans are still around • Hacker News Board

Re: The last Romans are still around

#11

Post by quibono » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 9:57 PM UTC

Shitty-kitty wrote: post #8

Don't glorify Rome too much. It was a slavery based society that progressed sciences, technology and civilization little from what they inherited from the Mesopotamian's/Greeks. Heck written Latin didn't even have punctuation marks, not even spaces. That's because it was only used by slave scribes. The nobility that could write, did so in Greek.

> a slavery based society

As opposed to the Greeks, Parthians, Ptolemaic Egypt and Judea? Unless you mean "fully dependent on slave labour" - then I guess we can mention Sparta and Athens.

> that progressed sciences, technology and civilization little from what they inherited from the Mesopotamian's/Greeks

What does "little" mean in this context? This is a very fuzzy concept but this doesn't sound right.

Re: The last Romans are still around

#12

Post by HelloUsername » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 9:58 PM UTC

[dead]

Re: The last Romans are still around

#13

Post by coldtea » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 10:01 PM UTC

Shitty-kitty wrote: post #8

Don't glorify Rome too much. It was a slavery based society that progressed sciences, technology and civilization little from what they inherited from the Mesopotamian's/Greeks. Heck written Latin didn't even have punctuation marks, not even spaces. That's because it was only used by slave scribes. The nobility that could write, did so in Greek.

>Don't glorify Rome too much. It was a slavery based society that progressed sciences, technology and civilization little from what they inherited from the Mesopotamian's/Greeks.

It progressed civic life, institutions, law, infrastructure, and other things, a lot. Modern law is a heavy percentage ancient roman law in basis.

Slavery-based society doesn't say much for 2 millenia ago. Most where. The US had slavery until less than 2 centuries, and Jim Crow and other such things until less than a century. And still has things like forced prison labor, so let's cut the Romans some fucking slack.

Re: The last Romans are still around

#14

Post by toyg » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 10:03 PM UTC

Insanity wrote: post #2

Just wait for Hollywood to create a film about Roman mythology and not cast a single Roman! But less tongue-in-cheek, the other thing is that the legacy of the Romans is pretty much all around us. The Roman Calendar (with July and August both referencing a Roman leader), the Latin alphabet (with the additional letters like 'y' being added later on to support Greek), the roads we can travel, etc.

It's not only July and August; January, May, June, and Mars, are named after Roman gods; February and April after Roman rituals; and September to December after Roman numerals (7 to 10th month, as they were when the calendar first started).

Re: The last Romans are still around

#15

Post by WalterBright » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 10:03 PM UTC

oersted wrote: post #10

Shitty-kitty wrote: post #8

Don't glorify Rome too much. It was a slavery based society that progressed sciences, technology and civilization little from what they inherited from the Mesopotamian's/Greeks. Heck written Latin didn't even have punctuation marks, not even spaces. That's because it was only used by slave scribes. The nobility that could write, did so in Greek.

What have the Romans ever done for us?

Are you not entertained?

Re: The last Romans are still around

#16

Post by smitty1110 » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 10:03 PM UTC

smitty1110 wrote: post #3

No mention of the Romansch, that's quite disappointing. But learning more about Romania and Romanian culture still made for a wonderful read, kudos to the author.

I 100% deserve getting flamed a bit for skimming and shooting off a comment when not paying enough attention.

Re: The last Romans are still around

#17

Post by simonebrunozzi » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 10:03 PM UTC

Shitty-kitty wrote: post #8

Don't glorify Rome too much. It was a slavery based society that progressed sciences, technology and civilization little from what they inherited from the Mesopotamian's/Greeks. Heck written Latin didn't even have punctuation marks, not even spaces. That's because it was only used by slave scribes. The nobility that could write, did so in Greek.

It was one of the most influential civilization in all of recorded history. It's not about glorifying it, or justifying it. I think that a lot of people see it much more "civilized" than many others, before and during it. And perhaps after it too.

Re: The last Romans are still around

#18

Post by WalterBright » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 10:04 PM UTC

coldtea wrote: post #13

Shitty-kitty wrote: post #8

Don't glorify Rome too much. It was a slavery based society that progressed sciences, technology and civilization little from what they inherited from the Mesopotamian's/Greeks. Heck written Latin didn't even have punctuation marks, not even spaces. That's because it was only used by slave scribes. The nobility that could write, did so in Greek.

> Don't glorify Rome too much. It was a slavery based society that progressed sciences, technology and civilization little from what they inherited from the Mesopotamian's/Greeks. It progressed civic life, institutions, law, infrastructure, and other things, a lot. Modern law is a heavy percentage ancient roman law in basis. Slavery-based society doesn't say much for 2 millenia ago. Most where. The US had slavery unt…

> forced prison labor

I'd rather work than be in a cell.

Re: The last Romans are still around

#19

Post by epolanski » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 10:05 PM UTC

Insanity wrote: post #2

Just wait for Hollywood to create a film about Roman mythology and not cast a single Roman! But less tongue-in-cheek, the other thing is that the legacy of the Romans is pretty much all around us. The Roman Calendar (with July and August both referencing a Roman leader), the Latin alphabet (with the additional letters like 'y' being added later on to support Greek), the roads we can travel, etc.

Every modern law system has its roots in Roman one.

Re: The last Romans are still around

#20

Post by WalterBright » Thu, Jun 25, 2026, 10:05 PM UTC

Shitty-kitty wrote: post #8

Don't glorify Rome too much. It was a slavery based society that progressed sciences, technology and civilization little from what they inherited from the Mesopotamian's/Greeks. Heck written Latin didn't even have punctuation marks, not even spaces. That's because it was only used by slave scribes. The nobility that could write, did so in Greek.

What civilization would you glorify?