評論
打印
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軍隊里沒有什么人的勢力能夠大到把自己推翻，晚上也能睡得更好吧。
Centuries later a Russian named Joseph Stalin would take the same iron fisted approach
幾個世紀之后，一個叫做約瑟夫·斯大林的俄國人也會采取同樣的鐵腕政策，
in building up and defending a land called the Soviet Union.
創立并且保衛一個叫做蘇聯的地方。
In sum, Diocletian's invention of the dominate made sure the Roman Empire could have two more centuries of security.
總的說來，戴克里先所開創的主宰統治使得羅馬帝國能夠再保住二百多年。
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.
但是羅馬暫時的內外安定已經讓不管窮富的羅馬人都付出了慘重的代價。個人行動毫無意義，只是帶來更深的絕望，也會加深第三世紀危機所引起的不安。
The once vibrant cities of the empire were now ghost towns, the fields,
羅馬帝國曾經生機勃勃的城市如今變成了鬼魅般的城鎮
which once abounded in citizen soldiers were now worked by beaten up peasants who were basically Serfs.
曾經豐沃的農田養活了大量的士兵，如今是由一些挨著鞭子的農奴在耕種。
Everything was controlled by a huge soulless all powerful bureaucracy answerable only to someone with the job title god and master.
控制一切的是一個龐大無情的官僚機構，只認官職主人，不問平民百姓。
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.
每個人都清楚地知道，羅馬帝國正在失去生機，但是沒有人敢說出來，因為戴克里先的耳目無處不在。
Better perhaps the evil the Romans knew than the prospect of being over run from the north,
羅馬人也清楚羅馬不可能會受到蠻族的侵襲，不管是從北部，
by barbarians from the north the east or the south.
東部，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?
但是我要問的是，以一個警察政府來換取穩定的邊界線和良好運作的經濟，這樣真的值得嗎？
Something to think about.
這個問題值得我們考慮。
Segment 13e Conclusions
13e 結論
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.
第一點 邊界線一切平靜。羅馬軍隊一直都是元首統治得以穩定的關鍵要素，也是羅馬和平的關鍵。
Therefore the Limes or boundary area of Rome became a higher and higher priority.
因此羅馬的邊界線和邊境地區成為政府工作的重中之重。
The Roman Empire was not and could not be a big fortified camp.
羅馬帝國不是，也不能稱為一個大防御工事營。
Wherever possible the Romans counted on natural boundaries to defend them such as rivers or deserts or mountains.
羅馬人利用地理優勢，例如河流，沙漠，或山峰等來保衛邊界線。
Still, massive amounts of men and money were required to keep things safe all along the Limes,
但是盡管如此，還是需要大量的人力和財力來維持邊界線地區的安全。
there was not guarantee that the soldiers or the generals would remain loyal.
并且也保證不了士兵和將軍忠心與否。
Julius Caesar had started his rise commanding a client army on the Gaulic frontier.
凱撒大帝就是從高盧戰線上的一名雇傭軍將軍開始自己的崛起的。
