Ancient grape seeds may link Sri Lankan trading port to Roman world

Science Mag ^ | December 12, 2018 | Lizzie Wade

[Rockingham]

With better luck or better leadership, Rome might have survived.

[SunkenCiv]

The Roman Empire did pretty well -- the stretch of time from Rome's conquest of Ostia to the fall of Constantinople is over 1800 years -- and it was accomplished without a postal system, public schools or general literacy, a banking system (other than the loansharking style), common liberty (lots of slavery, and lower classes were always at risk of sinking into it), and a coherent system of succession for the emperor were some of their problems.

[Rockingham]

Quite true. The Roman Empire had an excellent road network, a superb and high adaptable military organization in its legionary system, and (usually) an effective central administration. Moreover, the Roman way of life proved highly attractive to the barbarians that it incorporated or who settled on its frontiers. A century or two of peaceful contact and trade often sufficed for Roman goods and way of life to turn barbarians into friends or even allies who sent their sons into the recruitment system of the Roman Army. You may find the Edward Luttwak's The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire and The Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire of interest.

[SunkenCiv]

Having no need to protect themselves for hundreds of years made the still rather large population of the Roman Empire sitting ducks when, for example, the legions were withdrawn from Britain. The pickings in the Empire were richer than those outside, and the mass migrations of quite a number of different people led to a century or more here and there of various successor states of different sizes and cohesion. The Vandals wound up in modern Tunisia after ripping through during the 5th century. And of course, the Empire had already gone through nearly all the 3rd century broken into schismatic mini-empires, partly in response to, and partly as a cause of, barbarian migrations. During the 3rd century there was a blossoming of free market commerce and local autonomy that more than set the stage for the "Dark Ages" / medieval division into small city-states and principalities. In the 6th c Procopius lamented Justinian's campaign to reconquer the western provinces. The feudal society developed as a consequence of the need for common defense and also the need for the self-appointed nobility to boss everyone around. :^)

[Rockingham]

In spite of the benefits of Roman rule, it did not always rest easily on its subjects. Taxes, trade restrictions, religion, and the conduct of Roman legionnaires made for frequent points of contention, with the Romans uncongenial toward potentially rebellious locals being armed and organized for their own defense.

[SunkenCiv]

The rebellious locals don't have descendants, unless they're found in Italy, where the survivors of such uprisings ended their lives as slaves.

• Report: Ancient Roman graveyard found in suburban Copenhagen [10/11/2007]
• Roman Germany
• Roman Baltic

[Rockingham]

or the rebellious fled beyond Rome’s reach, as with the Scotts and Irish.

[SunkenCiv]

The Scots weren't in Scotland in Roman times, they were (or rather, their ancestors were) cowering in Ireland, wetting their kilts in fear. After the Romans left Britain for good, the Scots still didn't start to settle in Caledonia and conquer and absorb the Picts for a century or so.

There's evidence (see the links) that the Romans established a trading presence in Ireland, btw.

[Rockingham]

Surely though, even if the Scots are treated as a later and exclusively Gaelic people, the ancient Picts (or Picti, meaning Painted Ones in Latin) in what is now Scotland were a troublesome lot for the Romans, as literary sources and the existence of Hadrian’s Wall both indicate. And it is pleasing to think of Roman contact with Ireland as including not just St. Patrick but also Roman merchants looking to buy Kerrygold in bulk at the source. And it is said that Irish traveling in the Mediterranean picked up the technique of distillation, which then became the basis for Irish whiskey.

[Rockingham]

Surely though, even if the Scots are treated as a later and exclusively Gaelic people, the ancient Picts (or Picti, meaning Painted Ones in Latin) in what is now Scotland were a troublesome lot for the Romans, as literary sources and the existence of Hadrian’s Wall both indicate. And it is pleasing to think of Roman contact with Ireland as including not just St. Patrick but also Roman merchants looking to buy Kerrygold in bulk at the source. And it is said that Irish traveling in the Mediterranean picked up the technique of distillation, which then became the basis for Irish whiskey.

[Rockingham]

Surely though, even if the Scots are treated as a later and exclusively Gaelic people, the ancient Picts (or Picti, meaning Painted Ones in Latin) in what is now Scotland were a troublesome lot for the Romans, as literary sources and the existence of Hadrian’s Wall both indicate. And it is pleasing to think of Roman contact with Ireland as including not just St. Patrick but also Roman merchants looking to buy Kerrygold in bulk at the source. And it is said that Irish traveling in the Mediterranean picked up the technique of distillation, which then became the basis for Irish whiskey.