For Rome? Or am I just nuts?

[Myrde]

*sighs and deposits the 25 cents into Lucy's jar* Alright, well, the Doctor is in. I swear, we need a Psychology section on here merely so you folks and analyze my brain and remind me I'm crazy.

Ahem. First, and foremost, I shall admit that I am a Historical Nerd. I love history. Especially the truth and History from different perspectives. *pokes fingers together* Meh, I just love reading in general. My entire life has been spent learning, and I have no desire to stop. Any sort of knowledge is useful. In any event I've come into a bit of... not really a dilemna just an internal struggle.

Ah, the Romans. The conquered the known the world. Fascinating civilization. No other civilization excites me as much a the Romans do. Huns, Mongols, the Japanese, the Chinese... you think of every civilization that has built an Empire and there's something about the Romans that just grabs me. To sit in those columned senate buildings and forge an Empire. To wear a gladius at my side and a crimson cloak. To unify a people, to strengthen then, and to have that people dominate all around us. Under a single banner. Senatus Populusque Romanus. For the glory and honor of Rome and the Empire...

*shakes head and snaps out of it*

Man I have GOT to stop doing that. It's like a bad Jekyll and Hyde scenario! By day and night, Im your normal philosophical druid. Stick one of my old history books or a piece of fiction concerning Rome, and I'm ready to lead a Cohort against the Gauls!

The idea of the era just stirs a fire in my heart when I read about it. I respect it. I admire that empire. That power. That unity and cohesion that allowed then to forge an empire that lasted so long. So unbelievably long...

And I'd doing it again. Must. Stop.

THere's certain times and civilizations in history that grab me and draw me in, stirring my mind. But those of Rome's empire are by far the strongest.

And yet... what Rome stood (and feel when I read about it), and what I believe and practice are on opposite sides.

*sighs* I'm a Druid at heart. That is for sure. Yet... I don't know. Is there something wrong with me? Especially thanks to history. I can't ignore the event of Ynys Mon, but that wasn't my war! I wasn't there, and it never affected me. It was a strategic military attack, and nothing more, I know that. I'm not suppose to bear a grudge, and I don't. Old history that has never affected or bothered me. Yet something is still bothering me and I have NO idea what it is.

Advice oh wise teachers?

[Ghostrider]

You're nuts!

The Romans held and hold no ground to the Germanic tribes!! (LOL... just jerking your chain a bit ).

I guess everyone has their personal likes and dislikes. This included. Guess that's as personal as the Path we walk on. Who knows what lessons you can learn from your Roman 'obsession'?
So.. you're not nuts. Just tremendously misguided!! ( sorry.. couldn't resist.. hehehehe )

[DJ Droood]

Ah, the Romans. The conquered the known the world. Fascinating civilization. No other civilization excites me as much a the Romans do. Huns, Mongols, the Japanese, the Chinese... you think of every civilization that has built an Empire and there's something about the Romans that just grabs me.

Rome: Coolest...Civilization...Ever....with the Maya a close second. When the Romans were civilizing Europe, and when the Maya were constructing great pyramids, *my* filthy ancestors were mixing oatmeal into sheeps stomachs and grunting their tales at each other in sod huts because they hadn't thought to invent writing. I mean, they caught up eventually, and except for the pollution, we now have the Best...Civilization...Ever...(if you focus on things like life expectancy, chances of dying in a cattle raid, quality of video games, etc.)...thanks in large part to the Roman legacy, of course...so yea, I am with you...Rome still rules my imagination."Exegi monumentum aere perennius."

[Myrde]

Well, thats a bit of a relief. I was expecting alot of flaming from admiring the Romans. Tis pleased to see otherwise.

...with the Maya a close second

Nah, I gotta say the Japanese. When the Celts were still waving around wooden clubs, and when the most advanced weaponry the mayans had was obsidion, the Japanese had already mastered warfare with steel. They were already an advanced people.

BTW, has anyone EVER considered rebuilding Ynys Mons? Just curious.

[Astrid]

First of all you are all misguided... Ancient egypt for the win but lets not get into that discussion the man did have a serious question!

I belivie the gods have a sense of homour... but also an agenda

Maybe the fact that you clearly feel you belong on a druidic path yet feel drawn to the romans is because there is a purpose in your life to bring these two seemingly conflicting things into harmony? That was my first thought at least...

[DaRC]

When the Celts were still waving around wooden clubs, and when the most advanced weaponry the mayans had was obsidion, the Japanese had already mastered warfare with steel.

Hmmmm I think you'll find that the power of the Celts came from the early use of Iron, it is thought they learnt it from the Scythians who in turn may well have discovered Iron making. The Celtic culture was evolving into a great Culture before they forgot to organise in the face of the might of Rome, although that is a common Celtic thread.
The people of the Seax (i.e. Saxon) were masters of pattern welding 1000 years before the Japanese produced the Katana.

You've got to admire the discipline and single-mindedness of the Romans and particularly Marius' mules but in the modern world I still find that the assumption that things rooted in the classical Greco-Roman world = cultured / good and those from other cultures = barbarian / bad somewhat irksome

[Huathe]

The British Empire was probably the largest Empire the world has ever known. It once contained the American Colonies, Canada and Australia. The Empire was at it's largest extent in the 1920s and dissolved in the 1980s. It lasted for several hundred years and is the reason why English is spoken around such far-reaching areas of the globe.

But for me in the words of King Leonidas. SPARTA!! rules! The hopelites rule. At 500 AD their technology was among the best in the world. They still used a lot of bronze weapons but also had developed techniques to forge Iron into tools and weapons.

[Lily]

What Have the Romans Ever Done For Us?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWfh6sGyso -


there's nothing wrong with fascination for the dark side. joining them is the problem.

[Muddy Fox]

You know what they say Lily, "You can't knock it til you've tried it" not that I am advocating trying anything at all, particuarly "dark stuff".

[skh]

Advice oh wise teachers?

Stop worrying about the "proper way" of being a druid. So far I haven't read anything from you which isn't completely and perfectly within the broad spectrum of druidry as practiced today by modern people. You're maybe not as unusual as you either fear or would like to be.

As for the Romans: go and learn Latin, read them in the original, and rejoice that Latin is much easier, and has much much more surviving material than, say, Old Irish.

peace /|\
Sonja

[Myrde]

Just being a touch silly with the celts when I said about the wooden clubs bit. =w= Wasn't being serious and i understand the history behind them. However, still kind of shown that even at that time, Japanese were masters of war. Irregardless of, if you stuck a samurai up against a celt swordsman, my bet would be on the guy with the Katana. :p

And yet, the irony is that technically, Rome wasn't cultured or sophisticated at all until after they conquered the Greeks. They had awesome military minded discipline and strategy, indeed. But it wasn't until the absorbtion of the greek culture into their own that Rome became "cultured". Afterwards, if it wsn't Roman culture, it wasn't civilization, and everyone else were barbarians.

See, I actually disagree. Sparta was a MAJOR land power, who, admittedly, DID conquer and rule Athens a couple of times. I'm not questioning the military might of Sparta at all. At the SAME time, can they trully be compared with the power that Athens had when they ruled the Delians league and had ships that reached the farest flung corners of the known world? Can they compete with the artwork and school of thought that Athens produced? Or, lets face it, the earliest "democracy".

See, I diagree with that bit about the British Empire as well. :/ If you're looking for square mileage, then yeah, possesing Canada and Austrailia WOULD give anyone bonus points. At the same time, they were, for the most part "uninhabited" (I hope you get the sarcasm). Rome conquered the entire known world and conquered city after city, country after country. It grew so large that it had to be run by TWO emperors! Britain had land, inffluence, and advanced technology but nothing more. Rome... Rome had power. When I think of British Empire I think redcoats and.... GREAT.... HUGE.... TRACTS OF LAND! (can't find clip on Youtube. Another MP reference). When I think of Rome... I think of the Legions and Europe under the might of the Senate. Raw, unadulterated power.

Stop worrying about the "proper way" of being a druid. So far I haven't read anything from you which isn't completely and perfectly within the broad spectrum of druidry as practiced today by modern people. You're maybe not as unusual as you either fear or would like to be.

See that highlighted bit? Thats me in a nutshell. To be honest, I'm STILL trying to find and establish my place here. :/ And as being a Druid as a whole. The problem (and most awesome part) is that there is no... real.... guidelines. I'm not sure if what I think or believe is out of the bounds, bending the rules, innappropriate, appropriate. There's no generally accepted right or wrong or anything!!! And that's both a bit frightening and a bit exciting, because I don't know if I'm doing it wrong. :/ Or right. Or whatever.

[jmalzone]

Love this topic! My ancestry is rooted both in the time of the Romans and of the Celts. I have never been on the fence about which side speaks to me more...clearly my Irish ancestry does for whatever reason that may be...I just learned to except this.

The one thing the mighty Roman empire couldn't do is conquer all of Brittania. I mean that's why Hadrian's Wall was built right? Rome's influence stopped at that point. For all the might Rome had they didn't have enough to conquer all of Brittania.

Rome was manipulative in it's conquering; some call it smart. Open trade routes with the people and act friendly, then start giving favor to one portion of the population, cause strife between the people and then when they're divided; conquer. Divide and Conquer at its finest.

The iron-work of the Celts were very advanced; I definitely agree with that. And if you are one that believes Stonehenge was a Megalithic structure of the Druids, then you have to agree that they were wise beyond their years.

[Huathe]

Japanese were masters of war. Irregardless of, if you stuck a samurai up against a celt swordsman, my bet would be on the guy with the Katana

_Myrde


Especially one like Miyamoto Musashi. His book of Five Rings tells his strategy of thought. I feel he was one of the best warriors in history. The " Way of the Warrior " was everything to him. The one goal was to defeat your enemy. Period.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyamoto_Musashi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Five_Rings

[skh]

Stop worrying about the "proper way" of being a druid. So far I haven't read anything from you which isn't completely and perfectly within the broad spectrum of druidry as practiced today by modern people. You're maybe not as unusual as you either fear or would like to be.

See that highlighted bit? Thats me in a nutshell. To be honest, I'm STILL trying to find and establish my place here. :/ And as being a Druid as a whole. The problem (and most awesome part) is that there is no... real.... guidelines. I'm not sure if what I think or believe is out of the bounds, bending the rules, innappropriate, appropriate. There's no generally accepted right or wrong or anything!!! And that's both a bit frightening and a bit exciting, because I don't know if I'm doing it wrong. :/ Or right. Or whatever.

Relax, you'll be fine.

(And I do mean the bit about the Latin. It's one thing to think the Romans are cool, and something completely different to, let's say, follow the thoughts of a certain lawyer called Cicero in his own words. Language is a way to immerse yourself in past ages and cultures.)

peace /|\
Sonja

[Badger Bob]

Cogidubnus thought Rome was great too, many Britons seemed to have been interested in Rome in the way many are interested in the EU these days, for trading opportunities and cultural exchange. Boudicca wasn't keen but then Norfolk women are never happy with anything