I've always been a big fan of classical and ancient history, particularly events that took place between the 5th century BC and the 5th century AD. Now, you may be asking "Why, Dack? What could be so fascinating about those one thousand years?" or you may simply be reading onward to see what I'm getting at. Either way, I've got an answer: Romans.

Don't take this the wrong way, it's not that I don't love the Greeks. Alexander of Macedonia was a close and personal friend of mine, and don't even get me started on Pericles and the Delian League! Man, that guy could commission temples. Anyway, all that aside, the Greeks simply fail to measure up to the Romans in terms of staying power. I mean sure, Rome fell just as Greece did, but it took from 27 BC to 476 AD for their empire to finally call it quits whereas the Greeks...well, let's just put it this way: A bunch of squabbling city-states to not an empire make. They never really got it together in the same way the Romans did.

To be fair, the Greeks did teach the Romans a lot in terms of art, architecture and construction, but that's just another thing that made Rome so awesome: its ability to adapt in order to survive! Even in terms of religion and culture the Romans were surprisingly modern about it. Sure, they conquered and enslaved countless people, but at least they let them pray for release (or death) from their own gods! That's gotta count for something, right?

I think the real reason I love the Romans so much, though, is for the wars. The Romans had the strongest army of their time and they were sexy about it! I firmly believe that ballistae are the sexiest artillery weapons on the planet, even to this day.

I guess I'm about done for now. I'm not totally sure what compelled, or rather, what possessed me to write this. Personally, I'd like to blame that crying face next to my "New Posts" box. I can't say no to that face! I mean, could you?

-Dack-