It’s true, I think about the Roman empire a lot. There are a few reasons.

I’m a male.

I’m American.

I’m Christian.

But one of these things makes me think about the Roman empire in a very different way than the other two.

I think about the Roman empire as a male in the Western world. The culture was very male-centric. I do love the movie Gladiator. In a world becoming less male-centric, men obsessed with masculinity will harken back to anything that celebrates masculinity. Some of that flows my way.

I think about the Roman empire as an American, a citizen of a country very much inspired by Rome. Latin language informed English law, after all. America may be a democracy with a Constitution centered on individual rights, but it’s still the most powerful empire worldwide. Like Rome of its time. Our favorite dystopian fiction trilogy is about a future America based on Rome, after all. Which brings me to my third and final reason.

I also think about Rome a lot because I’m a Christian. And as a Christian, the Roman Empire is a disgusting reminder of why we need Jesus, not Rome.

Today you will sometimes hear from Western apologists who will go on about how Rome gave us paved roads, representative government, rule of law, and aqueducts. Therefore, their argument might go, we need to embrace Western stuff and Rome-y stuff in order to save the West from whatever non-Western threat that probably came from the East, or all of humanity and what is good will collapse.

okay, so Rome gave us a senate and a municipal water supply. But Rome also gave us slavery, misogyny, torture, deep political corruption, and various other oppressive and vile historical traumas.

Roman soldiers crucified Jesus.

So no. I will not glorify Rome.

Every great and mighty civilization did some neat stuff. But if it was built upon oppression and warping the image of God, then I couldn’t care less to see it go.

As Benjamin Resnick of The Jerusalem Post says, “My view of the Roman Empire is informed by a frothing admixture of resentment, fear, and admiration.”

I think about Rome a lot. And while some of the infrastructure and art and speech from that bygone time is neat, it was also a monster.

I am a male and an American citizen. But when I think of the Roman empire, I think of something I’m glad is gone. Forever.