I'd have never ever ever guessed it would.

You’ve seen the problem clearly as well, but your solution to the problem seems to be ‘more cultural purity’.

That solution never seems to work out well.

An interesting fact I just stumbled across today- they’ve done some genetic trsting on bone and teeth fragments found entombed by the lava in Pompeii. Remember- Pompeii was sort of “The Hamptons” for rich Romans.

The eruption occured in 79 C.E. Roman power was still acending. The most expansive borders of the Empire would not be reached for almost a hundred years, about 165 C.E. If memory serves. And of course, the final collapse of empire didn’t happen for another few centuries.

So the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 occurred at the apogee of Imperial power. And here’s the interesting thing about that genetic testing I mentioned.

Genetic markers from all over the Mediterranean world were found at Pompeii. From North Africa, Spain, Greece, Asia Minor, Germanic- from everwhere the Empire had reached.

At the time of Jesus (seven decades prior) Rome was already a clash and blending of ancient cultures and religions, philosophies and ideas. But far from being a hindrance, such diversity proved to be rocket fuel for the flourishing of the arts and sciences, and for Rome’s expansion as well.

It wasn’t the barbarians that did in Rome, it was Romans themselves….too much wealth to the oligarchy, too many taxes on the small land owners who simply defected, one by one up and down the Italian peninsula. Many of these actually sided with the “barbarians” because Rome was already “dead to them”. By the time the first “barbarians” (many of whom were already pledged vassals of Rome), Rome itself was a dead man walking.

It wasn’t the cultural diversity that killed Rome. It was the economics of Empire.

Great cautionary tale. But unfortunately folks often have diametrically opposed notions as to why it is a cautionary tale,