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To: chalu2 who wrote (338)	9/2/1999 11:43:00 AM
From: Merritt	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1449

Chalu2: << Rome, on the other hand, organized itself as a nation, and set about to conquer the world, something the Greeks had not done (there was no "Greek Empire").>> Hmmm...wasn't there a guy they called Alexander The Great who did a little traveling? I wonder if the Persians, Turks, Egyptians, and Pakistanis might have a different view?<g> <<The analogy to present-day America is very weak.>> Perhaps it would be better if it were to mention how the Roman Senate weakened the state by giving out grain to the plebes to secure their re-election, thus depriving an already over-extended military of much needed sustenance.

To: chalu2 who wrote (338)	9/5/1999 3:55:00 AM
From: Bob Lao-Tse	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1449

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this... I accept your Rome in Europe nitpicking, and would point out that the remainder of your response shows that when I failed to call them Northern European "barbarians" you still knew what I meant. Ditto Greece. Athens fell because it was corrupt and self-indulgent. You state that the problem (with Rome as well) was the lack of a strong central government. This is only partially correct. Athens and Rome both had "strong" central governments in the sense of many people wielding much power over many other people, much like our government today. The way that they were "weak" was not in any sort of crude measure of political domination, but rather in a lack of direction and purpose. The powerful people were so lost and misguided and the people were so disenfranchised that the leaders couldn't lead and instead chiefly used their power on whims and diversions and scams. Much like our government today. Ditto Rome. Read Toynbee's A Study of History. If you aren't entirely trapped in the status quo, you might see our future.