Empires, Roman and American

The noted anti-Islamic blogger Fjordman has an interesting article at Global Politician. The guy may be wrong but you can't say he doesn't research and think through his material.

However, in the midst of setting up his argument against Islam being able to incorporate Greek philosophy - oil and water - he slides over some interesting parallels between Rome and the United States.

As Bamford Parkes states, “A civilization is not to be condemned solely because it fails to produce any important art, but a lack of artistic creativity is likely to indicate some more general failure of vitality. It is the function of art to sharpen human perceptions and sensibilities, to communicate an awareness of the values and significances inherent in human experience, and thereby to enrich man's understanding and enhance his capacity for enjoyment. That a society has become incapable of original self-expression means that it is deficient both in the apprehension of reality and in the power of appreciation. A society without good art is likely to succumb to a pervasive ennui and sense of futility and oppression, and to turn for stimulation to violent and morally shocking forms of entertainment. Only a people devoid of aesthetic sensitivity could have developed such a passion for watching gladiators. The strongest impression conveyed by the art of the early empire is that it was the product of an immense boredom. This is the simplest explanation for the decline of Roman civilization and may also be the truest.”

The great city of Rome was founded in the eighth century BC, according to legend in 753 BC by the twin brothers Romulus and Remus. At the heart of Rome is the giant amphitheater known as the Colosseum. Completed in AD 80 it could take 50,000 spectators. It remains visually impressive and resembles modern sports arenas of the twenty-first century, except that the ancient spectators didn’t watch football but deadly hand-to-hand combats between gladiators or contests between men and animals. The word gladiator for the professional combatants of ancient Rome comes from the Latin for “swordsman” (gladius means “sword”). While the origins of this tradition are not entirely clear, they may have roots dating back to rituals performed at the funerals of the Etruscans, the peoples who inhabited parts of the Italian Peninsula before the Romans and influenced Roman culture. Gladiator shows were given in many towns and cities in the Empire besides Rome. They fell out of favor with the rise of Christianity as the official Roman religion, but the decline was gradual.

Roman politics, too, were frequently brutal. Caesar died at a meeting of the Senate, killed by senators. Pompey and Cicero died violent deaths at the hands of their political rivals. After the Republic, the cruelties of the emperors Nero and Caligula became legend. There is undeniably something dark about a culture where families go to watch people get killed for enjoyment.

And now think about our slasher movies, games, and even the generally awful architecture and city planning in America, where ugly isn't even noticed. Here's a New York Times article noting that the Virginia Tech killings didn't put a dent into the sales figures for Hostel II, where college students are tortured to death - violence is pretty much part of our culture. Heck. Guns don't even seem to help...