What have the Romans ever done for us

Coillte_Bhoy · 22-08-2019 11:13AM #1

stoneill · 22-08-2019 11:31AM

Sanitation?

brevity · 22-08-2019 11:32AM

Aqueduct

begbysback · 22-08-2019 11:33AM

Marcus Aurelius

colm_mcm · 22-08-2019 11:33AM

Got Chelsea a good few trophies.

completedit · 22-08-2019 11:37AM

Provided inspiration for a rhetorical question

Graces7 · 22-08-2019 11:38AM

Saint Patrick.. indirectly

killanena · 22-08-2019 11:40AM

Connected their empire with roads, some of which are still used today.
Spread Christianity to Europe. Up to you if that's a good or bad thing.
They didn't invent but mastered concrete, even for underwater use.
Romans invented books, prior people used tablets or scrolls.
We still use the caladener Julius Caeser introduced today.

Goodshape · 22-08-2019 11:42AM

Brought peace?

Harry Palmr · 22-08-2019 11:43AM

Literally nothing directly in Ireland, what did they called this land - Infectum Hibernia? Frigus Insula ?

Stevieluvsye · 22-08-2019 11:43AM

Graces7 wrote: »

Saint Patrick.. indirectly

Very good Grace

And i wonder do most know that we (Ireland) in theory saved Britannia in the dark ages by introducing Christianity against that horrid paganism the Saxons brought along

Coillte_Bhoy · 22-08-2019 11:46AM

How the hell do you embed a youtube video on here?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOfffyn4SWI&feature=youtu.be

Harry Palmr · 22-08-2019 11:48AM

[youtvbe]copy and paste the collection of alpha-numeric characters here[/youtube]

Coillte_Bhoy · 22-08-2019 11:56AM

Harry Palmr wrote: »

[youtvbe]copy and paste the collection of alpha-numeric characters here[/youtube]

I did that. Got this message

l2CXdDl

Cant post an image now either. I put this between the img tags but nothing showing up

https://imgur.com/a/l2CXdDl

begbysback · 22-08-2019 12:03PM

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

How the hell do you embed a youtube video on here?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOfffyn4SWI&feature=youtu.be

Don’t think you can give the romans credit for embedding videos

Skylinehead · 22-08-2019 12:07PM

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

I did that. Got this message

Cant post an image now either. I put this between the img tags but nothing showing up

https://imgur.com/a/l2CXdDl

Fixed it, took the full URL without the feature thing.

beertons · 22-08-2019 12:18PM

A Roman walks into a pub, holds up 2 fingers, and says to the barman, 5 pints please.

Wibbs · 22-08-2019 12:27PM

Stevieluvsye wrote: »

And i wonder do most know that we (Ireland) in theory saved Britannia in the dark ages by introducing Christianity against that horrid paganism the Saxons brought along

Well... Christianity was already in England. Patrick's dad was a deacon and his uncle or grandfather, can't recall which was a priest of bishop. Where do people think he got the faith from in the first place? Christianity was already in Ireland before Patrick too. There are even clear records of an earlier pope sending a lad called Palladus(sp?) to the Irish believers(which suggests there were already a few believers in the place). Some of Patrick's life could be mixed up with the earlier guy.

In England Christianity gets an even later "official" start with Augustine. He's the boyo that supposedly brought Christianity to England, yet he was at least two hundred years too late. There had been small pockets of Christianity when the Romans finally left the place. Patrick later on shows it stuck. Then there was the massive influence of the Irish church in the northern parts(which British history likes to play down). Augustine's real purpose was to take "official" Roman Christianity to the place and cut the influence of the Celtic church which had its own way of doing things, often to the consternation of Rome.

corner of hells · 22-08-2019 12:27PM

Noses and candles.

Stevieluvsye · 22-08-2019 12:30PM

Wibbs wrote: »

Well... Christianity was already in England. Patrick's dad was a deacon and his uncle or grandfather, can't recall which was a priest of bishop. Where do people think he got the faith from in the first place? Christianity was already in Ireland before Patrick too. There are even clear records of an earlier pope sending a lad called Palladus(sp?) to the Irish believers(which suggests there were already a few believers in the place). Some of Patrick's life could be mixed up with the earlier guy.

In England Christianity gets an even later "official" start with Augustine. He's the boyo that supposedly brought Christianity to England, yet he was at least two hundred years too late. There had been small pockets of Christianity when the Romans finally left the place. Patrick later on shows it stuck. Then there was the massive influence of the Irish church in the northern parts(which British history likes to play down). Augustine's real purpose was to take "official" Roman Christianity to the place and cut the influence of the Celtic church which had its own way of doing things, often to the consternation of Rome.

I was of the opinion that Patrick converted the pagans to Christianity, now that's not to say there were not pockets of Christians in Ireland but listen i'm getting my knowledge from dan Snow doc i watch the other night!

Graces7 · 22-08-2019 12:37PM

Wibbs wrote: »

Well... Christianity was already in England. Patrick's dad was a deacon and his uncle or grandfather, can't recall which was a priest of bishop. Where do people think he got the faith from in the first place? Christianity was already in Ireland before Patrick too. There are even clear records of an earlier pope sending a lad called Palladus(sp?) to the Irish believers(which suggests there were already a few believers in the place). Some of Patrick's life could be mixed up with the earlier guy.

In England Christianity gets an even later "official" start with Augustine. He's the boyo that supposedly brought Christianity to England, yet he was at least two hundred years too late. There had been small pockets of Christianity when the Romans finally left the place. Patrick later on shows it stuck. Then there was the massive influence of the Irish church in the northern parts(which British history likes to play down). Augustine's real purpose was to take "official" Roman Christianity to the place and cut the influence of the Celtic church which had its own way of doing things, often to the consternation of Rome.

which was a disaster regretted to this day. Rome and all its …..the celtic church was pure and strong.

Wibbs · 22-08-2019 12:44PM

Stevieluvsye wrote: »

I was of the opinion that Patrick converted the pagans to Christianity, now that's not to say there were not pockets of Christians in Ireland but listen i'm getting my knowledge from dan Snow doc i watch the other night!

Which being English in origin tended to follow the same narratives. Reality was more complex than that. He had a larger effect than earlier Christian missionaries and groups and converted more alright, but Christianity itself would have been an already known entity when he showed up. Just as it was in England Wales and Scotland long before the official potted history tells us. Like I said Patrick's English family were Christians. If it was the much later Augustine or even the Celtic Church that brought the religion to England they couldn't have been.

Ireland was unsual in that it was one of the very few places where the religion was in play outside what had been the Roman empire. Patrick's mission was also unusual in that it was again one outside those older borders, though as I say there had been an earlier missionary sent here by Rome.

topper75 · 22-08-2019 12:50PM

Good show on PBS last night coincidentally about their involvement in Scotland. Many of us, and indeed many Brits, think it all stopped at Hadrian's wall.

But it all spanned out over 3 emperors in fact, one of whom was of course the bould Hadrian. Antoninus built another well into modern day Scotland's central belt. At one stage they almost got up to Aberdeen or thereabouts, but never really penetrated the highlands. Too tricky for moving huge numbers of soldiers in an asymmetric war! Sniff of South Armagh off the place!

What ultimately stopped their total domination of the island (it was expressly written down and admitted as a desire) it seems was legions being called away at key times to more pressing action (suppressing rebellions in Romania and the eastern empire).

I think it is was this Roman problem that might have ultimately spared Ireland.

Wibbs · 22-08-2019 12:56PM

Graces7 wrote: »

Rome and all its …..the celtic church was pure and strong.

Well it was subtly different. More monastic and church power resided more with Abbots and Abbesses rather than bishops and the Roman hierarchy. This didn't go down well with Rome, particularly having women in such positions of church power. The date of Easter was also different which had Rome irritated. The Celtic church was also anti slavery, something the Roman church avoided dealing with entirely. Patrick having been a slave directly addressed and condemned the practice, one of the first in European history to do so. Doubly so as the Irish were famous for being slavers and slave owners. Indeed Augustine was sent to England after the pope saw two Anglo children for sale in the Roman slave market. He made a lame latin joke about how these Angles looked like Angels* and must be brought to Christ. What is not said is of some import. The pope was swanning around slave markets. Slave markets which would have been under his control as de facto ruler of the city. He didn't free the two kids and no comment was made about the morality of the practice. Some of the clerics were married too, though this was common even in the Roman church in isolated communities.

*maybe that's where facebook posts get it from..

Your Face · 22-08-2019 01:20PM

For centuries they kept Europe safe from the Germans and other barbarians.
They knew, they knew what was up.

Markcheese · 22-08-2019 01:43PM

https://youtu.be/ptfmAY6M6aA

Its probably been seen before loads, but it always has me in stitches...

Montage of Feck · 22-08-2019 01:48PM

Goodshape wrote: »

Brought peace?

Pax Romana

Graces7 · 22-08-2019 01:56PM

Wibbs wrote: »

Well it was subtly different. More monastic and church power resided more with Abbots and Abbesses rather than bishops and the Roman hierarchy. This didn't go down well with Rome, particularly having women in such positions of church power. The date of Easter was also different which had Rome irritated. The Celtic church was also anti slavery, something the Roman church avoided dealing with entirely. Patrick having been a slave directly addressed and condemned the practice, one of the first in European history to do so. Doubly so as the Irish were famous for being slavers and slave owners. Indeed Augustine was sent to England after the pope saw two Anglo children for sale in the Roman slave market. He made a lame latin joke about how these Angles looked like Angels* and must be brought to Christ. What is not said is of some import. The pope was swanning around slave markets. Slave markets which would have been under his control as de facto ruler of the city. He didn't free the two kids and no comment was made about the morality of the practice. Some of the clerics were married too, though this was common even in the Roman church in isolated communities.

Anecdotes ! Stories!

The Celtic Church was Celtic, not set on world oppression as Rome has been. I am a monastic historian with special focus on Ireland

Rome killed a great and sincere faith. For political power.

Celtic Christianity is undergoing a meaningful revival .

Go to Skellig Michael, m Riesk, DIngle peninsula or High Island off Claddaghduff and see the work of the Celtic Church who lived in beehive huts among the people they served and taught. Far nearer to Jesus Christ.

Over and out from me on this. After the last century of Rome in Ireland... No more

topper75 · 22-08-2019 03:20PM

Graces7 wrote: »

Anecdotes ! Stories!

The Celtic Church was Celtic

The church in Ireland before the imposition of Roman orthodoxy was more likely Coptic than anything else.

There is no such thing as Celtic anything.

The term was plucked from obscurity in recent centuries and used by people with either separatist agendas against centralised London government (or even negatively as part of an anti-Gaelic/Welsh agenda by that same government) as a descriptor of anyone in Britain or Ireland that was there prior to Romanisation. The La Tène culture is also called Celtic but they are no more related to the modern Irish people genetically than say Basques or Poles. Caeser referred to Celts in Gaul but he was no historian, merely a rampaging warlord seeking to impress political backers back home with his campaign reports. The La Tène folks may have the same patterns on shields/vessels/broaches as those unearthed here. But patterns are easily copied. I live in Ireland - born and bred. I imagine with the absolute dominance of Gaelic surnames on both sides of my family as far as I can trace back that I have a strong claim to Irishness. I would never see myself as Celtic.
It is a vague and inaccurate term; I would discourage its use.

Ipso · 22-08-2019 03:38PM

It’s a useful modern term used to group people based on broad language and cultural similarities, just no one back then saw themself as part of a monolithic group doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use it in an appropriate context.

Say my name · 22-08-2019 04:23PM

A bit about the Celtic church not being oppressors. Well I'd say they oppressed the druids (snakes, Sun and moon worshippers) fairly well.

What did the Romans do for Ireland?
They pushed out the last druids from Wales into Ireland or killed them on the spot.

What have the Romans ever done for us

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