leidenartsinsocietyblog

LUCAS Explains #2: What would happen to Brexit negotiations if the EU put the Roman emperor Trajan in charge?

LUCAS Explains #2: What would happen to Brexit negotiations if the EU put the Roman emperor Trajan in charge?

On January 31st, the United Kingdom formally left the European Union. Negotiations were, and continue to be, long and difficult. Could things have turned out differently? Renske Janssen explains how a Roman emperor might have approached the situation.

Like the EU, the Roman Empire encompassed a variety of very different territories, all with laws, traditions and cultural identities of their own. In today’s video, Renske explains that Roman emperors were a lot more flexible in their style of government than people often assume: they left many aspects of life in the provinces intact, and even listened to the wishes of the locals. Still, emperors could also act harshly when they felt they needed to – which means that Roman-led Brexit negotiations may not have become a resounding success after all.

Renske Janssen, 'What would happen to Brexit negotiations if the EU put the Roman emperor Trajan in charge?'

ABOUT LUCAS EXPLAINS

In the video series LUCAS Explains, young researchers tell about current societal and cultural topics from a historical or fresh point of view. The subjects range from diversity to national identity and from inclusiveness to migration. The videos stretch the history from the Classics to the present and from Europe to Asia. LUCAS Explains is published every other Tuesday. LUCAS Explains is a video series of Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society and SOON media Amsterdam.

THANKS TO

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research
Leiden University
Rijksmuseum voor Oudheden, the Netherlands
Nozem Audio

CREDITS PICTURES

Map Roman Empire in 117 AD: Wikimedia Commons
Pliny the Younger: Wikimedia Commons
Statue of emperor Trajan: Wikimedia Commons (edited by Renske Janssen)


© Renske Janssen and Leiden Arts in Society Blog, 2020. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Renske Janssen and Leiden Arts in Society Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

0 Comments