Roma Amor

The Colosseum in 2010

“All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?”

“Brought peace.”

~ Scene 10: Before the Romans Things Were Smelly from Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979).

I’m a little late to the game, but there is a fascinating trend online asking men, “How often do you think about the Roman Empire?” From what I understand, it went viral on TikTok in September 2023 but the question actually dates back to 2022 when a Swedish feminist genuinely wanted to know what men normally think about. To her surprise, many said the Roman Empire.

I don’t use that app, but the question eventually made its way to Elon Musk’s X and it got me thinking about how often I think about the Roman Empire. In all earnestness and without the least bit of exaggeration, I would have to say I think about it every day and the reasons are manifold.

My friends and I collect coins. This silver Denarius, minted by Julius Caesar in 48-46 BC, depicts the goddess Venus on the obverse and Aeneas, the founder of Rome, carrying his father on the reverse. It was a birthday gift for a friend

For starters, the Roman Empire is intertwined with my Roman Catholic faith, of which I attend the Traditional Latin Mass. Deeply religious, it comes up in my daily meditations on the Crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the lives and martyrdom of countless saints, including many Roman legionaries. St. Achatius, St. Expeditus, St. Longinus, and St. Maurice are but a few. Some of the more illustrious imperial figures include St. Patricia of Naples, Emperor Justinian I, Emperor Constantine the Great and his mother St. Helena of the Cross. The importance of the Empire in spreading the Faith throughout Europe cannot be overstated. 

(L) Young boys dressed as Roman legionaries during the reenactment of the life and martyrdom of Santa Fortunata during the Feast of Santa Fortunata in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, in 2014. (R) Cavaliere of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George with labarum, Emperor Constantine the Great's imperial standard, during the Feast of St. George at the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in Lower Manhattan, in New York City, in 2018 

Secondly, as a Southern Italian, my remote ancestors—Samnites, Italiotes, et cetera—were some of Rome’s staunchest enemies. Eventually conquered and incorporated into the Empire, this means I’m also descended from Roman citizens and/or slaves. The Empire is a part of my heritage and ethnic background—two things I’m very interested in.

As an American, we see Roman influences (political and aesthetic) everywhere. A self-styled “Third Rome,” Classical architecture (domes and columns) and symbols (eagles and fasces) adorn our government buildings, national parks and monuments. Early America even used Latin terms and mottos, such as “Pax Americana” (American Peace) and “E pluribus unum” (out of many, one) to add weight and gravitas to them. Until recently, Latin was the language of scholarship, law, and the Church.

Gaius Mucius Scaevola Confronting King Porsenna, c. 1650, oil on copper, Bernardo Cavallino (Naples 1616-1656), Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas

Thirdly, I’m a European history buff and aesthete. My parents instilled in me a healthy appreciation for the Classics and art, and many of my hobbies and interests have some connections with the Empire. First off, I enjoy reading Greco-Roman mythology and philosophy, especially the stoics (e.g. Emperor Marcus Aurelius). Since I was a child, I’ve been enthralled with their myths and legends, both in art and literature. Among my favorites are the heroic sacrifices of Marcus Curtius [1] and Gaius Mucius Scaevola, [2] the Abduction of the Sabine Women, and the Capitoline She-Wolf nursing Romulus and Remus.

During the Palio di Siena in 2007, I chose the Lupa as my contrada (district) solely because their coat-of-arms is the She-Wolf. If I knew at the time Garibaldi awarded them a photo of himself in 1867 after their victory, I definitely would have picked the Aquila district instead. After the race, I learned their imperial eagle device was bestowed by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1536. 

For the record, the Leocorno district won the Palio that year, but I digress.

(L-R) Column of the She-Wolf and Contrada Aquila flag with the imperial double-headed black eagle holding a sword and orb in Siena, Tuscany, 2007

Lucky to have like-minded friends, I can’t begin to tell you how often our bull sessions stray off-topic and onto more interesting subject matters, which in many cases means Ancient Rome. Covering a wide array of topics, these discussions can range from the death of Julius Caesar (Ides of March); to Virgil’s epic poem The Aeneid, to the Latin rite of Devotio. [3] 

I confess that some connections are more tenuous than others. For example, I enjoy the stories of the legendary Sword and Sorcery writer Robert E. Howard and one of my favorite fictional characters is his Bran Mak Morn, a heroic Pictish chieftain and implacable enemy of Rome. Also a fan of the Arthurian literary cycle (Matter of Britain), it turns out the historical King Arthur may have been a Roman knight (eques) from Campania by the name of Lucius Artorius Castus. [4]

(L) Bran Mak Morn: The Last King (2005) by Robert E. Howard.
(R) From Scythia to Camelot (2000) by C. Scott Littleton and Linda A. Malcor

Speaking of Britain, I’ve seen variations of the question that switched out the Roman Empire with the British Empire. With all due respect to “the empire on which the sun never set,” or any other substitution one wishes to make, none can match the legacy of the Romans. I’m not saying the others were not influential or impressive in their own right, just that they are not as omnipresent as Imperium Romanum. For me, the only one that comes close is Ancient Greece, but that query is for another day.

(L-R) Belvedere Apollo, 2nd century, marble, Roman copy of Greek bronze, and Laocoön and His Sons, marble, date uncertain, Vatican Museum, 2010

Next, I have many fond memories of visiting the Eternal City and beholding the ruins of the once-great Empire in person. Who could ever forget entering the Colosseum or walking through the Arch of Titus? Who could not be impressed by the Forum, the Pantheon, the Palatine Hill, or the Baths of Caracalla? Who could not be moved by the grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Mvsei Vaticani (Vatican Museum) and its incomparable collection of ancient Roman artifacts? Let’s not forget the Appian Way, the Arch of Constantine, the Circus Maximus, or for that matter the many world-famous sites and museums across Italy, such as Pompeii, Paestum, and the renowned Farnese collection at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

The Pantheon in 2007

(L) The Pantheon's dome. (R) Detail of the Arch of Titus in 2007

The Triumphal Frieze of the Arch of Titus in 2010

(L) The Blue Vase, Imperial Roman cameo glass discovered in Pompeii on 29 December 1837. (R) The Farnese Bull is a Roman copy of a Hellenistic sculpture. It was unearthed in 1546 in the gymnasium of the Baths of Caracalla. Both masterpieces are housed in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli

Finally, as a cultural pessimist, it is only logical that I make comparisons between America’s decadence and inevitable decline with the fall of the Roman Empire. While comparisons to Weimar Germany are common, and not totally without merit, I believe the correlation with the collapse of Rome is far more apt. If we draw parallels, we see American hegemony weakening; the escalation of racial, religious and political Balkanization; the movement of peoples; declining birthrates; corruption; perpetual war; currency debasement; and a serious lack of civilizational confidence; drawing us ever closer to the brink.

Two of Hollywood's less flattering portrayals of Ancient Rome: (L-R) Filmmaker Mel Brooks' raunchy comedy History of the World Part I (1981) and Caligula, a pornographic historical drama starring Malcolm Mc Dowell as "little boots" Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (1979)

Rome is ever-present. Whether you realize it or not, its ubiquitous influence is felt by all. We can thank them for engineering and architectural marvels, the Latin Alphabet, the Julian calendar, the Romance languages and so much more. It continues to inspire popular culture, even if modern creators don’t always treat their subject with the respect and appreciation it deserves.

Museum exhibits abound. There are books galore (e.g. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon, 1776). There are plays (e.g. Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, 1593 and Julius Caesar, 1599); television series (e.g. I, Claudius, 1976); and untold Hollywood films (e.g. Spartacus, 1960; Caligula, 1979; Life of Brian, 1979; Titus, 1999; Gladiator, 2000). Heck, there is even Caesars Palace Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For better or worse, the ancient Romans have left their mark on our world and it should be no surprise that so many men think about it. The fact that more don’t is shocking. While I don’t expect the average Westerner to think about the Roman Empire as often as I do, one would have to be completely out of touch with reality to never consider it. Roma Invicta [5]

~ Giovanni di Napoli, October 22nd, the Feast of San Vincenzo Martire di Craco, Legionnaire and Martyr

Appendix – A few popular sayings:
• All roads lead to Rome.
• Rome wasn’t built in a day.
• When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
• To fiddle while Rome burns.
• Crossing the Rubicon.
• Carpe diem (Seize the day).

Notes:
[1] According to legend, a great chasm opened in the Forum and was threatening to swallow Rome. An augur claimed that the gods demanded the most precious possession of Rome as a sacrifice. While the Romans debated on what that was, the knight (eques) Marcus Curtius admonished them for not realizing that it was Rome’s military might and valor. Dressed in full regalia, Marcus Curtius selflessly charged his horse into the abyss, and the earth closed behind him, thus saving the Eternal City.

[2] During the Etruscan siege of Rome (Etruscan-Roman Wars), Gaius Mucius Scaevola slips into the enemy’s camp to assassinate King Porsenna. Killing the wrong target, the Roman was captured and brought before the king. Showing contempt for pain and torture Scaevola thrust his right hand into a burning brazier and warned the king that there were three hundred other Romans who vowed to kill him. Shocked by the man’s fervid devotion, King Porsenna set him free and wisely sued for peace with Rome.

[3] Devotio was a ritual and vow to sacrifice oneself in battle in exchange for victory over one’s enemy.

[4] From Scythia to Camelot by C. Scott Littleton and Linda A. Malcor, Routledge, 2nd Edition, 2000.

[5] Unconquered Rome.