Quote: "what made the Romans so great and proud were the collesium games, the bloody sports - Christianity took that away and the Roman's lost their entire identity."
If that was the case, why was there not a general rising against the Roman elite?
There wasn't.
Rome was destroyed by invasion. That is just a fact. Read your damned history books for facts, not conclusions.
"Rome was destroyed by Christianity" is Foucauldian history that has more to do with today's antipathy toward Christianity than it ever had to do with Rome in its time.
Christianity survived as an establishment in Rome for 300 years.
No one thing destroys a nation.
Christianity, historically, has served to hold nations together when they were about to fall apart. Russia basically got by on this until WWI finally undid the deal.
I'm not a Christian. I wouldn't defend Christianity if it were being attacked by a dog!
But, Christianity did not kill Rome. The timing means nothing! By that standard, the Gulf War ended the Soviet Union.
I have a hard time seeing how the Bible and bloodsport is a better explanation than overstretched military frontiers.
Plus, if bloodsport was so important, why are all the major Roman institutions in place before before the arrival of bloodsport? The language, the military, the currency, the technoglogies, etc.
Can you even cite when bloodsport began in Rome?!
This is just the classic dismissal of the civic history of Rome, because it is more fun to look at gladiators and heretics than bean counters and fortifications.
Somethings do play roles in national history; some don't. Some are just co-incidence.
For example, the industrialization argument in Germany. There is an old argument/stereotype that industrialism is parcel to the German national character.
However, it is secondary.
Germany emerged as a nation after the Napoleonic Wars forced the Germans to unite, or face continuing invasions from all directions. Not surprisingly, the Prussians, who did not have to face the military dilemma of France, but instead dealt with history's great pretenders, Austria and Russia, took over and became the center of the new state.
What did industry have to do with it?
Nothing. Industry is just what people with resources did during the 1800s. The Germans had resources.
Bloodsport and the Bible in Rome is a McGuffen. It sounds cool, so we say that, because foreignization and reactionary defense sounds a little too much like where we are today.
Raven . . . you are SOOOOOOOO off on this one it is funny (awkward, not ha-ha).
You give me a good citation on the role of blood sport in Roman civic history, and maybe we'll talk.
Otherwise, you are out-gunned on this one.
We can't stop here! This is bat country!
