Explanation: Romans placed a relatively high value on the idea of bellum iustum - ‘justified war’, rather than just conquering their enemies to hear the lamentations of their women and all that jazz. On one hand, this is a very good and civilized thing, to demand of oneself justification for acts of violence, a step, however small, in the right direction.
On the other hand, as the Romans were a very warlike people, this meant that Rome was generally eager to pounce on any slight that could give them a justification for intervening and putting yet another province under their heel. Raid a ‘friend of Rome’? Full-scale war. Mistreat a Roman citizen? Full-scale war. Technical violation of some minor clause of the last peace treaty you signed? Oh, you better believe that’s full-scale war.
5 Comments
PugJesus@piefed.social · 18 pts · 303d
Explanation: Romans placed a relatively high value on the idea of bellum iustum - ‘justified war’, rather than just conquering their enemies to hear the lamentations of their women and all that jazz. On one hand, this is a very good and civilized thing, to demand of oneself justification for acts of violence, a step, however small, in the right direction.
On the other hand, as the Romans were a very warlike people, this meant that Rome was generally eager to pounce on any slight that could give them a justification for intervening and putting yet another province under their heel. Raid a ‘friend of Rome’? Full-scale war. Mistreat a Roman citizen? Full-scale war. Technical violation of some minor clause of the last peace treaty you signed? Oh, you better believe that’s full-scale war.
nagaram@startrek.website · 10 pts · 303d
They also seemed to hold a grudge.
Rome lost a battle to you 100 years ago. They remembered.
saltnotsugar@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 303d
Tribe next door: (muffled sneeze)
Rome: You dare try to destroy us!?
PugJesus@piefed.social · 15 pts · 303d
TIME TO DEFEND OURSELVES INTO THREE CONTINENTS
imnapr@discuss.tchncs.de · 2 pts · 303d
At first I read Romulans and I was really confused. Then I read the sub and reread the meme