The biggest difference I see is that technological progress is so rapid nowadays, it offsets a lot of the social decay.
The Roman Empire’s technology was stagnant.
YET, Jesus chose to be born under Roman rule. That was planned very well, as the Romans adopted Christianity and the successor to Peter still sits not too far from Rome in the Vatican. It's called the Vatican because it was built on Vatical Hill, a MUCH older name to that hill. Rome had many hills.
The Vatican, as the "seat" of the pope, was begun one street level below the current level. If one descends downstairs there is one glass covered metal box and it says, quite simply: HERE LIES PETER.
The Romans were possibly developed by God JUST so that Christianity WOULD be spread so far...since Rome ruled MUCH of the known world at that time.
God did NOT have His only begotten Son born in Oriental Asia, India, Africa or the new world (North, Central and South Americas).