One of the infuriately amazing things about Roman history is the tendency for people to see within the past whatever lesson they most want to communicate to the present.
Some see Rome through the eyes of the conservative: Once a great nation that fell to decadence and handouts to the populares.
Other see Rome through the eyes of a more socialist/anarchist bent: Once a great nation frittered away on useless wars while elites competed for power.
The truth? Rome is complex and fairly well recorded. We can know a lot about it and it allows us to see that humans build quite complex and often contradictory societies. Easy, bumper-sticker versions of this are often at least partially wrong and do not do justice to the very vibrant lives that the Romans lead. Similarly, they too were often slaves to the bigger trends and forces that were often unseen in daily lives.
That's a long way of saying, be careful when you think you've got a lesson from history. It probably says more about you than the Romans.
Some see Rome through the eyes of the conservative: Once a great nation that fell to decadence and handouts to the populares.
Other see Rome through the eyes of a more socialist/anarchist bent: Once a great nation frittered away on useless wars while elites competed for power.
The truth? Rome is complex and fairly well recorded. We can know a lot about it and it allows us to see that humans build quite complex and often contradictory societies. Easy, bumper-sticker versions of this are often at least partially wrong and do not do justice to the very vibrant lives that the Romans lead. Similarly, they too were often slaves to the bigger trends and forces that were often unseen in daily lives.
That's a long way of saying, be careful when you think you've got a lesson from history. It probably says more about you than the Romans.