The Romans were amazing, so much so that I hope to go back
and learn what other folks learned in High School and College. Yesterday (31 May) we were in Bath, England,
so named because of the very elaborate Roman Baths they built, but more about
that in another blog post.
My focus today is on the expanse of the Roman Empire. Hadrian’s Wall, built by Roman Emperor
Hadrian, stretches across the UK forming the northern border of England and the
northwestern border of the Empire. The
Empire’s SE corner lay about halfway down Egypt. All of North Africa up wards and the Middle
East a bit east of Amman, Jordan marked the edges.
The Romans did more than occupy.
Hadrian’s Wall is impressive as are the Roman Baths, the aqueducts, and lots of other things.
In England we drove down a modern highway
built right over an old Roman road.
Those crazy Romans built amphitheaters, roads, baths, and magnificent
structures all over their vast empire.
They did it without telephones, computers or the internet.
Decapolis cities, one of which we visited in Jordan several years back.
Despite the greatness of Rome, it was fallen morally and
spiritually, and eventually literally.
Those latter emperors, the Nero’s and his ilk, were not admirable in any
way. The Christian persecution, the
enslavement of the conquered, the institutional corruption of the leadership
were symptoms of the fallen nature of mankind.
And, we too, like the Romans, share a common falleness. All we like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has fallen in manifold ways and
innumerable times.
Thanks be to G^d that He has laid upon Him the iniquities of
us all.
