All Roads

What's the big appeal of Rome? So many Roman history classes are offered, but I've yet to see one history class on my hometown. I say that Rome is overrated, and people should stop worrying about it. How many American history classes do you think the Romans had? Sure, they've finally come around and have some now, but it's a little too late for them to make up for it. They just finally realized that noone's studying this current group of Romans and had to try to do something to guilt people into studying them too. But if the ancient Romans didn't bother thinking about us, why should we waste our time thinking about ancient Romans?

Sure, there's probably the occasional mistake that they made that we could learn from. Forgetting about the number 0, running around in dresses, letting the empire fall, but I say we're all smart people, we're capable of making those mistakes on our own, without any help from a bunch of people that couldn't care less about us anyway!

I suppose if you're planning on having an ancient Roman exchange student, you might want to brush up on your history. But more likely, you're going to want to catch up on your ancient Latin. And even then, you're only going to be able to write large missives, and have not a word to say. You might be able to muddle by with a really, horribly thick American accent. But if you've sat in a large lecture with a professor that has a horribly thick accent from some random country closer to Rome than America, you likely know that it's pointless to try understanding and a much better use of your time to trim your fingernails and talk to your neighbor and catch up on your sleep and just about anything else, anything other than listening..or studying Roman history.

But honestly, what have the Romans done for us recently? Name one modern inventions that the ancient Romans designed, and I'll be willing to concede that they're worth studying in such detail. I can't think of one.

I do have to admit though that I'm sure that there are some aspects of Roman history that are fun and interesting to study. Not useful, but interesting. Rare, but they are there. I'm sure. There can't be /that/ much material, and _all_ of it boring, can there? So sure, I can understand the occasional class or two on Roman history, but once you get through the fun stuff, what're all the rest of them for?

All roads lead to Rome, but please just visit. Once you're spent your money, do remember the road'll lead you right back home again.