how much do you think about the Roman Empire

I find it quite fascinating. I think about the Hellenistic Age more though, particularly because it had the two most influential men of all time, Plato and Socrates. In fact, nearly every single major conflict in all of Western history has resulted from a difference in their opinion. Only in Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason were their two ideas somewhat synthesized.

The three/four most influential books in all of history:

Aristotle’s Metaphysics and his Nicomachean Ethics

Plato’s The Republic and

Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason

Some conflicts that stemmed from their differing opinions - Capitalism vs Communism, Science vs Religion, Abortion vs anti-Abortion, free will vs determinism, mind-body dualism vs physicalism, idealism vs materialism, Platonism vs various forms of anti realism, empiricism vs rationalism, positivism vs humility, ethical realism vs anti realism, etc…

Some runner-ups (for the most influential books) are:

Descarte’s Meditations on First Philosophy (for turning the focus on epistemology rather than metaphysics)

Marx’s Das Kapital (for creating the most widespread implementation of his ideals since the life of Mohammed [much quicker in its influence than the Bible due to faster information trade])

The Old Testament (for setting up Christianity, also foundation of Judaism, the worlds third largest religion)

The New Testament (for inventing/discovering/revealing Christianity, one of the most influential religions in world history)

The Koran (for inventing/discovering/revealing Islam, one of the most influential religions in world history)

Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit (for an incredible deep dive into epistemology) and

Hume’s Compiled Dialogues (too much to explain)

The Roman Republic was better...

Definitely more synthetic in their ideas of Greek ideas, but not foundational like Greek and Hellenistic (I don’t care about it being under Roman rule, it was Greek in culture) ideas

Corinth got burned to the ground in 146 BCE so Rome was better.

Thought about Rome just now. About how they coated their bodies in oil and scraped it off to clean themselves. The communal sponge on a stick to clean their butts. Such disturbing thoughts about Rome.

Roma est alternative. Desidero scirere plus.

*Roma est aeterna. ... Sistere computer. Non sub- scribere me.