The Wickedness of the Romans
WAS THE ROMAN EMPIRE EVIL?
A friend with whom I often discuss history, philosophy, and religion recently commented that, in her opinion, the Roman Empire was the most evil government in the history of the world. She cited its wanton disregard for human life, its unprecedented practice of slavery, the countless cultures it destroyed or assimilated, its cruel punishments including crucifixion, and other actions she believed made Rome a standard-bearer of human wickedness.
This got me thinking, and I responded:
So, I’ve been mulling over your comments last week about the Roman Empire being the most evil nation in history, and my inner Caesar got his dander up. Here is his reply:
TO HADES WITH ROMAN GUILT!
There was not a single evil you attribute to Rome that was not widely practiced by other nations of the ancient world.
Did we practice slavery? Every contemporary nation did. Did we crucify criminals? Yes, but that practice was first used by the Phoenicians.
Did we wage wars of conquest? Absolutely—so did Sargon, Alexander, David, Ramses, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus… the list goes on. Did we use secret informants? So did the Parthians and the Medes. Did we crucify Jesus? Yes, but at the demand of his own high priest and the Jerusalem mobs!
So what was Rome’s crime?
We were better than them all.
We were better warriors, architects, conquerors, administrators, merchants, and sailors. We met our enemies head-on, studied their strengths, and made them our own. We ruled more of the world for longer than any other empire. Civilization built on the seven hills of the Tiber flourished in one form or another for nearly two thousand years (and don’t forget, the rulers of Constantinople were still Caesars!). Our leaders were so envied that Germans, Franks, Russians, and Austrians copied our titles—Imperator and Caesar (Kaiser, Tsar—they’re all the same!). Our Republic was the template for yours.
We will not apologize for being the best.
She replied that evening:
Would that citizens of the modern United States had the pride in their nation that ancient Romans did!
Indeed, what you wrote is exactly what a Roman alive today would say, nicely stated, and I noticed you even used that post-Roman invention: punctuated sentences, lol. All that you said is accurate and true. Anyone unimpressed by Rome’s rise and accomplishments would have to be half-witted. Few civilizations were more interesting or remarkable, and it is seldom a historian’s job to judge the past. To try to put the ethics and policies of individuals dead fifteen to twenty centuries on trial is pointless.
I do think, however, that a case could be made that no other country was evil in quite the same way Rome was.
The Soviet Union did barbarically cruel things, yet even its hypocritically ignored founding ideals promoted human equality and betterment. Nazi Germany was evil to its core, but it lasted less than fifteen years. Rome, by contrast, had longevity and reach, with the ability to enact ethnic cleansing and widespread brutality on a scale unseen before or since in the West.
Rome’s cruelty, particularly its public spectacles of humans fighting to the death or being torn apart by beasts, ventures into the heart of what organized evil could be. I don’t claim the average Roman was evil, only frequently cruel by Christian standards. I do not argue Rome lacked achievements or interest. But one can see it as a remarkable psychopathic enterprise, human depravity run wild amid godlessness.
So, having read both sides, and understanding that “good” and “evil” can mean different things to different people, I ask: would anyone like to weigh in?
Come on, quirites, this place has been quiet! It could use a good ethical discussion.
