The United States of America is possibly the modern-day equivalent of
the ancient Roman Empire.
Rome was not built, and did not fall, in a day.
Rome, like the United States, was a melting pot of cultures, a country
of immigrants.
Immigrants make a nation great.
In recent times, political leaders have been trying to exclude
immigrants and prevent them from entering American soil. These leaders forget that they themselves are
not natives of the United States.
I am reminded of the 1964 film The
Fall of the Roman Empire (and its novelization by Harry Whittington).
The film’s (and book’s) protagonist, Livius Gaius Metellus,1
wanted to make the Marcomanni captives live among Romans.
Emperor Commodus2, 3, 4 was against this plan, but he allowed
Livius to present his case to the senate.
Julianus, opposed to Livius’ plan, said, “How safe will we be in our own
beds with them among us?”5
Julianus continued, “What is it that has kept our empire together? Our strength, our might–and the fact that we
have not mongrelized our blood by mixing it with inferiors–or with half-animal
savages… they will fall upon us from everywhere! It will be the end of Rome!”6
Mongrelized their blood?
Caecina (magnificently played by Finlay Currie and credited only as
Senator in the film) rose and said:
“The end of Rome? How does an
empire die? Does it collapse all in one
terrible moment? No… No. But there comes a time when its people no
longer believe in it, when they live only for the pleasures of the moment,
apathetic toward dangers, reveling in gaudy display of their worldly wealth;
when, instead of searching for means to protect the empire, they think only of
means of grabbing more, of protecting what they have taken to themselves. Then does an empire begin to die, slowly,
slowly… If we do not open these gates,
they will break them down and destroy it.
Instead of taxing our people, our provinces, beyond endurance, let us
take in new blood that will make us stronger.
Instead, let us grow ever bigger, ever greater. Let us take these new people among us. Honorable fathers, we of Rome have changed
the world. Can we not change ourselves?”7
Commodus did not take heed of Livius’ proposal. He died and left Rome in chaos.
The film ends with the voice-over, “This was the beginning of the fall
of the Roman Empire. A great
civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from
within.”8
Have they of the United States changed the world? I dare say “yes.” But, will their leaders continue to be self-serving
nincompoops9 like Julianus and Commodus?
Will they be like Caecina and Livius who embrace their neighbors and mongrelize with immigrants?
The United States may fall like Rome one day. I dare hope not. But, only time will tell.
Notes
1Livius Gaius Metellus is a fictional character.
2Emperor Commodus is historical.
His reign is said to have started the long process of the Roman Empire’s
downfall (which would happen centuries later).
3Historian Will Durant, credited in the film as a consultant, says,
“Marcus had contributed heavily to the debacle by naming Commodus his heir” (The Story of Civilization 448). Emperor Marcus Aurelius is the father of
Commodus.
4Ancient historian Dio Cassius talks about Marcus Aurelius and Commodus
when he says, “After rearing and educating his son in the best possible way he
was vastly disappointed in him. This
matter must be our next topic; for our history now descends from a kingdom of
gold to one of iron and rust, as affairs did for the Romans of that day” (Dio
Cassius, Hist. rom. 72.36.4
[Cary]). Marcus Aurelius reigned in an
empire of gold; Commodus in one of iron and rust.
5Harry Whittington. The Fall of the Roman Empire. Greenwich, CT: Gold Medal Books, 1964. 125.
6Whittington 127.
7Whittington 127-28.
8The second sentence of the voice-over is taken from Will Durant’s book The Story of Civilization Part III: Caesar
and Christ. “A great civilization is
not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within” (665). Note that the film inserts “from” between
“itself” and “within” (“…itself from within”).
9There are a lot of these here in my beloved Philippines. I hope for our beautiful little country to
belong to the First World someday.
References
Dio Cassius. Historia Romana. Trans.
Earnest Cary. Dio’s Roman History IX (The Loeb Classical Library). 1927.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1955. 67-69.
Durant, Will. The Story of Civilization Part III: Caesar and Christ. New York:
Simon and Schuster, 1944.
The Fall of the Roman
Empire. Dir. Anthony Mann. Perf. Sophia Loren, Stephen Boyd, Christopher
Plummer. Samuel Bronston Production,
1964. Film.
