If Rome survived....

[Dracon II]

I was watching the movie Titus (based on the Shakespearean play) and it made me think....
what would have happened if the Roman Empire survived into the modern era? What do you guys reckon?

[Boris Godunov]

Well, I am having a hard time thinking of a scenario under which Rome could have survived. Her problems were systemic, so I can't see her surviving without changing so much as to not be Imperial Rome anymore.

Plus, theorizing 1500 years of alternative history is kinda difficult...

[monolith94]

It would've been interesting to see how their architechture would have turned out…

[Gatekeeper]

There's one thing you can *never* take away from the ancient Romans, and that was their skill at building structures such as roads and aqueducts. Some of these are still in use today, I believe.

Gatekeeper

[Ned]

By the late 400's, the empire had descended into complete despotisim and self destruction. But had it survived, I believe the Romans would have discovered the New World by 800 or so, and modern times would have arrived 600 years sooner.

[Dinner]

Well, The Roman Empire did survive until 1453. Winston Churchill wrote an excellent history of the Roman Empire which included all sorts of conjecture in his encyclopedic "The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire". It's an epich 12 volume read but well worth the effort for anyone who's interested.

[Sarxis]

Half of us probably would be living on Mars already.

[Nubclear]

Rome has survived......

[The Mad Monk]

...and it's called the Vatican?

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
...and it's called the Vatican?

Not quite

+6 Diplomats.

[Dinner]

I love EU2.

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Oerdin
I love EU2.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Ned
By the late 400's, the empire had descended into complete despotisim and self destruction. But had it survived, I believe the Romans would have discovered the New World by 800 or so, and modern times would have arrived 600 years sooner.

I seriously doubt it. The Roman Empire would become completely reactionary and suppress any and all new discoveries and inventions, particularly after they had adopted Christianity. The Dark Age was bad enough without a big empire backing it.

[Dinner]

Of course the Dark ages were considered dark because there wasn't a big empire keeping things in order anymore.

[Urban Ranger]

The Dark Ages were dark because of the systematic repression carried out by the Church, with stupid things such as the Crusades and the Inquisition.