视听文本

Perhaps Diocletian slept better at night knowing that no one of his army of style less pushers would ever get big enough to take him down.
可能戴克里先知道自己的军队里没有什么人的势力能够大到把自己推翻，晚上也能睡得更好吧。
Centuries later a Russian named Joseph Stalin would take the same iron fisted approach
几个世纪之后，一个叫做约瑟夫·斯大林的俄国人也会采取同样的铁腕政策，
in building up and defending a land called the Soviet Union.
创立并且保卫一个叫做苏联的地方。
In sum, Diocletian's invention of the dominate made sure the Roman Empire could have two more centuries of security.
总的说来，戴克里先所开创的主宰统治使得罗马帝国能够再保住二百多年。
But Rome's temporary internal and external stability came at a painful price for rich and poor alike, personal initiative was now pointless only adding to the residual sense of despair or malaise from the crisis of the third century.
但是罗马暂时的内外安定已经让不管穷富的罗马人都付出了惨重的代价。个人行动毫无意义，只是带来更深的绝望，也会加深第三世纪危机所引起的不安。

The once vibrant cities of the empire were now ghost towns, the fields,
罗马帝国曾经生机勃勃的城市如今变成了鬼魅般的城镇
which once abounded in citizen soldiers were now worked by beaten up peasants who were basically Serfs.
曾经丰沃的农田养活了大量的士兵，如今是由一些挨着鞭子的农奴在耕种。
Everything was controlled by a huge soulless all powerful bureaucracy answerable only to someone with the job title god and master.
控制一切的是一个庞大无情的官僚机构，只认官职主人，不问平民百姓。
Everybody knew that the Roman Empire was having the life squeezed out of it, but nobody dared mention it for fear of Diocletian's spies.
每个人都清楚地知道，罗马帝国正在失去生机，但是没有人敢说出来，因为戴克里先的耳目无处不在。
Better perhaps the evil the Romans knew than the prospect of being over run from the north,
罗马人也清楚罗马不可能会受到蛮族的侵袭，不管是从北部，
by barbarians from the north the east or the south.
东部，或者南部，
But I ask you this, were secure frontiers and a functioning economy really worth the colecti, I mean creation of a police state?
但是我要问的是，以一个警察政府来换取稳定的边界线和良好运作的经济，这样真的值得吗？
Something to think about.
这个问题值得我们考虑。
Segment 13e Conclusions
13e 结论
One, all quiet on the Limes. The Roman military had always been the key to the principate's security and therefore to the Pax Romano.
第一点 边界线一切平静。罗马军队一直都是元首统治得以稳定的关键要素，也是罗马和平的关键。
Therefore the Limes or boundary area of Rome became a higher and higher priority.
因此罗马的边界线和边境地区成为政府工作的重中之重。
The Roman Empire was not and could not be a big fortified camp.
罗马帝国不是，也不能称为一个大防御工事营。
Wherever possible the Romans counted on natural boundaries to defend them such as rivers or deserts or mountains.
罗马人利用地理优势，例如河流，沙漠，或山峰等来保卫边界线。
Still, massive amounts of men and money were required to keep things safe all along the Limes,
但是尽管如此，还是需要大量的人力和财力来维持边界线地区的安全。
there was not guarantee that the soldiers or the generals would remain loyal.
并且也保证不了士兵和将军忠心与否。
Julius Caesar had started his rise commanding a client army on the Gaulic frontier.
凯撒大帝就是从高卢战线上的一名雇佣军将军开始自己的崛起的。

视频及简介

课程介绍:

本课程对罗马帝国和前苏联的兴衰进行回顾，探讨它们历史变迁的内在规律，并将现代的超级大国——美国与它们进行比较，从而作出对未来可能的一些预测。

原声视频：