[lit-ideas] Re: Resistance against Rome and others
- From: David Ritchie <profdritchie@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2014 13:35:25 -0700
On Apr 4, 2014, at 12:33 PM, Robert Paul wrote:
> Lawrence wrote
>
> We used to have someone from France on this forum, ran a bookstore if memory
> serves me.
>
> *Didier Agid. I don't know if he still runs a bookstore, but he does write
> e.g. this from 2008 about the French singer, lyricist guitarist and poet,
> George Brassens. (I can't find out what Didier's up to now but I hope he's
> thriving.)
>
> http://www.editionsfradet.com/brassens-didier-agid-livre.htm
The announcement has a contact address: Contact avec l'auteur :
dagid@xxxxxxxxxx
I recall him moving towards Normandy somewhere. I thought about trying to look
him up when I gave a talk at a conference in Rouen, but the logistics were
already difficult.
Thinking about logistics and Lawrence's reading, I'm not sure I understand what
his question is.
We might ask, if we could resurrect one of their British governors, “so what
was the purpose?”
I don't imagine there was ever only one purpose. Military folk wanted
promotion and reward. Civilians got rich lending money to outposts of empire.
Prasutagus hoped that by leaving his kingdom to the Roman Emperor *and* his
daughters, he could preserve the deal he'd struck. After the daughters were
raped, Roman financiers called in their loans, and the governor had to win the
battle of Watling Street to preserve a Roman presence.
One of the things I liked about the T.V. series "Rome" was the attention it
paid to an investment in slaves that goes wrong--they all get sick and
die--which causes the lead character to re-think his retirement. People do
things because they see an advantage and they may feel no restraint. We create
moral schemes to keep pillage and plunder in check, but as Jared Diamond (not
my favorite by a long measure, but sound in this instance) points out in
"Collapse" sometimes it's not understanding con[or re]straints that does an
Empire in.
David Ritchie,
Portland, Oregon
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