THE ROMAN WAY

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Rome was not built in a day, but the strategic planning of the republic and subsequent empire that arose from the former's ashes started from day one. Not that the planners gathered around a table on that first day. Not really. They never needed to sit around tables and plan from day one. Rather, their way of life and military prowess contributed immensely to the success of their ancient nation.

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Their concrete structures litter the regions they conquered and ruled for a very long time in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The equipment they invented and updated from other influential kingdoms of the time is still in use today. Even territorial names they bestowed on some vanquished territories remain in place today. How did they do this? What made them so successful at the peak of their empire in 117 A. D.?

Map of the Roman Empire and its clients in 117 AD (Anno Dominis) © https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roman_Empire_Trajan_117AD.png#mw-jump-to-license

I call it the Roman way. Notable admiration from their enemies. Rome enjoined their conquered victims to join the empire through many inducements like citizenship and military assistance in times of strife. The Romans made sure they accepted the cultures of their new territories as their own. So, they worshipped many deities from other societies, practicing the religious beliefs of other peoples in addition to theirs.

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This approach made the Roman Empire an amalgamation of various cultures. This also enriched the history of this massive ancient behemoth, endearing her people to her vanquished enemies, who even had the option of becoming free men by fighting for their conquerors. This is why my novels are filled with the brave and passionate stories of characters who experienced this empire firsthand. From Emperor Vespasian, who destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A. D., to one of the most popular Roman Emperors, Constantine I, who contributed immensely to Christianity and the development of the Roman Catholic Church.

The ancient empires' legacy continues to be explored in novels and movies the world over, and that achievement is due to the successful establishment of the Roman way thousands of years ago.