this post was submitted on 21 Jan 2025
73 points (98.7% liked)

Rough Roman Memes

555 readers
208 users here now

A place to meme about the glorious ROMAN EMPIRE (and Roman Republic, and Roman Kingdom)! Byzantines tolerated! The HRE is not.

RULES:

  1. No racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, bigotry, etc. The past may be bigoted, but we are not.

  2. Memes must be Rome-related, not just the title. It can be about Rome, or using Roman aesthetics, or both, but the meme itself needs to have Roman themes.

  3. Follow Lemmy.world rules.

Not sure where to start on Roman history?

A quick memetic primer on Republican Rome

A quick memetic primer on Imperial Rome

founded 8 months ago
MODERATORS
PugJesus
73
It's sick, the kind of filth they advertise nowadays (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 weeks ago by PugJesus to c/roughromanmemes
17 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 
top 17 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] TheTimeKnife 10 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I still can't believe the Romans put both consuls on the wings. Hannibal damn near had the victory handed to him. They assembled in the worst possible formation to face the Carthiginian horde. I get it, at Trasimene and Trebia only the tip of Roman heavy infantry had any success, but damn you couldn't put a single consul in a less Rambo position? Typical Roman Republic era insanity.

Probably wouldn't have saved them from Hannibals well designed trap, but it would have increased their odds from nothing. Instead the Roman lines advanced deep into a waiting noose with no one to question it.

[–] PugJesus 10 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Typical Roman Republic era insanity.

Really, the Roman Republic only won its wars because it was too stupid to realize when it lost.

[–] TheTimeKnife 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

There is a certain sliver of truth to that joke. The Roman Republic had huge economic, demographic and strategic advantages through its entire history, but often mistakes and improper utilization of these resources created massive problems for the republic. Time and time again it seems like they dig themselves out of the hole through pure stubbornness. After Cannae they passed laws chastising the public for grieving the complete destruction of multiple armies. Fabian was willing to save the republic from its own stupidity with an endless patience despite the consular elections being run mostly on the platform that Fabian was a huge coward. He fucking led an army to save the Consul who won said election against Fabian after his arrogance almost immediately destroyed another Roman army. It's an old cliche that the republic died because people lost their faith in the republic, but maybe it only lived for so long because it was able to inspire entire generations of legislators, civil servants and generals willing to fight for it.

[–] PugJesus 4 points 2 weeks ago

It’s an old cliche that the republic died because people lost their faith in the republic, but maybe it only lived for so long because it was able to inspire entire generations of legislators, civil servants and generals willing to fight for it.

Civic pride is a hell of a drug. People are willing to endure, and undertake, horrific things as long as their associate their own identity with the polity, and the polity responds in a way that they feel honored to continue to do so.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I did like the Roman strategy of “well I guess he’s good at fighting, so let’s just not fight him”

Then Hannibal pulled the reverse Uno card and escaped their trap without fighting the Romans by tying torches to cattle so he could sneak his entire passed their lines.

The whole saga is epic

[–] PugJesus 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

I did like the Roman strategy of “well I guess he’s good at fighting, so let’s just not fight him”

A bit more than that! Fabius and General Marcellus both offered battle to Hannibal on multiple occasions - but always on their terms. Hannibal, equally wisely, never accepted. Later Roman generals would also use this technique to great success - maneuver is the name of the game. Location, location, location. As said in an exchange between the Roman general Marius and an Italian rebel commander during the later Social War:

"If you are such a great general, Marius, why don't you come down and fight me?"

"If you are such a great general, why don't you come up here and make me?"

Then Hannibal pulled the reverse Uno card and escaped their trap without fighting the Romans by tying torches to cattle so he could sneak his entire passed their lines.

One of the strangest stratagems of all time, one of my favorites.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

I haven't really reviewed roman history since listening to a podcast about it years ago, that anecdote is amazing

I don't know why we don't have more movies or mini series about this stuff, that whole war is filled with really clever moves and bonkers strategies.

Maybe I should just read more books on this (same with Napoleon, and Julius Caesar)

[–] TheTimeKnife 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

If you want some accessible academic books, try Blackwells Companion to the Punic Wars, Dexter Hoyos Carthage, or Adrian Goldsworthy's The Fall of Carthage. They are all good and popular. If you want some video content to get in the spirit, try out Historia Civilis on YouTube. Just be sure to take history focused media with a grain of salt.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

Than you for those suggestions, I’ll look into them

[–] PugJesus 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I don’t know why we don’t have more movies or mini series about this stuff, that whole war is filled with really clever moves and bonkers strategies.

Scipio: "Bro, just trust me, the gods are on my side, watch, Neptune told me to do this:"

[uses information from locals to predict when the water on part of the moat will go subside to a fordable level]

His troops: "holy fuck the gods are on our side"

If you like Manga at all, Ad Astra is a fantastic series on the Second Punic War.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

I’ve never really read much of it, but I’ll check it out

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

If you're looking for historical fiction, check out Robert Harris' "Imperium" trilogy focusing on Cicero.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

How fictional is it?

I always struggle with historical fiction because it can be hard for me to determine what was actual vs editorialized. If it mostly follows known timelines and events I would read it though

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It follows several known historical people and doesn't seem to invent any major events as far as I can see, but I'm not an expert. It's certainly less fictional than any movies or series I've seen about that period.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Cool, that sounds like something I would like then

[–] TheTimeKnife 3 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah Ager Falernus is a fucking trip. I love to describe Ager Falernus, Ilerda, Alesia and Cannae when I'm explaining the age of Republican warfare. Always gets the crowd going.

[–] teft 4 points 2 weeks ago

Giving romans the fear of pincers since 216BC