Do Italians think they are descendats of the Romans?

[Lonkut]

I've thiis question in my mind for so long so now i ask to the Italians. Do you think you are a descendant of the Romans?

 

[Bozo Erectus]

I would imagine so. Uh...they live in Rome, and speak Italian...

 

[SeleucusNicator]

and speak Italian...

Vulgar Latin. Any self-respecting Roman gramarian would whip them for speaking like that.

 

[~Corsair#01~]

Well, they ARE descended from Romans. At least, the ones descended from Romans are.

 

[stormbind]

Yes. The ones I have known, have on occation, ranted about how glorious the Italian empire was.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

SN, yeah, kind of like Will Shakespeare suddenly confronted with rap lingo. He'd probably burn everything he ever wrote and hang himself if he ever found out one day it would be referred to as a form of English.

 

[Free Enterprise]

Some current Italians are descended from other tribes that came into Italy.

The Lombards in nothern Italy for example. Most of the tribes were acculturated to some degree in Roman culture.

 

[Lonkut]

Okay I should have made it clear. Only the italians may answer.

 

[SeleucusNicator]

SN, yeah, kind of like Will Shakespeare suddenly confronted with rap lingo. He'd probably burn everything he ever wrote and hang himself if he ever found out one day it would be referred to as a form of English.

I would argue that there are significantly more differnces between Classical Latin and Italian than there are between Middle English and Ebonics.

Also, iirc, there was an influx of Germanic tribes into Italy at the fall of the Roman empire, as well as an influx of other invaders (Normans, Muslims, etc.) in to Sicily and the southern parts of Italy. This would dilute the Roman influence in the Italian gene pool to some extent.

 

[thestonesfan]

Xen has wet dreams about the glory of the Roman Empire, so I'd say at least one person does.

 

[Yom]

Xen is American though.

 

[Neomega]

Just remember, Sicilians don't, and Sicilians do not consider themselves Italians...

 

[Plotinus]

I would argue that there are significantly more differnces between Classical Latin and Italian than there are between Middle English and Ebonics.

Except that Shakespeare wrote modern English, not Middle English. That's Chaucer.

[/QUOTE]Also, iirc, there was an influx of Germanic tribes into Italy at the fall of the Roman empire, as well as an influx of other invaders (Normans, Muslims, etc.) in to Sicily and the southern parts of Italy. This would dilute the Roman influence in the Italian gene pool to some extent.[/QUOTE]

This is correct. On the other hand, these were often essentially overlords, and life for everyone else continued much the same. For example, Boethius lived in a recognisably "Roman" world, even though he was ruled by... Visigoths? Lombards? Something like that.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

I would argue that there are significantly more differnces between Classical Latin and Italian than there are between Middle English and Ebonics.

I speak neither language (though I can read and understand Italian pretty well) so I'll take your word for it.

Also, iirc, there was an influx of Germanic tribes into Italy at the fall of the Roman empire, as well as an influx of other invaders (Normans, Muslims, etc.) in to Sicily and the southern parts of Italy. This would dilute the Roman influence in the Italian gene pool to some extent.

Thats true, but these influxes go on all over the place, I think cultural identity is more important than genetic identity. Isnt it the Greeks who really bear no relation genetically at all to the original, Classical Greeks? They still speak Greek and live in Greece, so as far as Im concerned, theyre Greek.

 

[IglooDame]

Thats true, but these influxes go on all over the place, I think cultural identity is more important than genetic identity. Isnt it the Greeks who really bear no relation genetically at all to the original, Classical Greeks? They still speak Greek and live in Greece, so as far as Im concerned, theyre Greek.

And they sure as heck seem to be taking credit for all the Olympic tradition, which was before Rome was much more than a twinkle in Remus' eye, right?

 

[Red Threat]

We consider ourselves descendent from Romans, sure, but not at all. The actual Italian people descents from many ethnic groups and migrations: examples are Greeks, Carthaginians, Lombards, Goths, etc. and don't forget all the people who migrated in Italy in the times of the Roman Empire. In Rome in the IV century AD there has been a very great meltin'pot.

P.S. Sicilians feel themselves Italians, you can be sure, not less then Lombards, Apulians... this happens because in Italy every region, every city is SPECIAL and has a own history.

 

[AceChilla]

I'm a illigitamate decendent of Marcus Aurelius. But please don't tell anyone.

 

[Amenhotep7]

I had a question somewhere along these lines. Do Greeks still have some of the old city-state rivalries? Meaning, do Greeks from Sparta have some sorta competition-thing with Greeks from Athens, or perhaps other rivalries?

 

[Godwynn]

I'm not Italian but I think of them as descendants from Romans. I tell my old Italian friend he might have conquered most of Europe, but my anscestors came from the only nation they could not hold... Germany.

 

[Xen]

@Godwynn:
In your dreams; you weren conqoured because you pitful land wasnt worth the effort needed, and Rome was to fractious internally to even bother looking to a bunch of forested swamps as being a future bastion of civilization

back on Topic
I consider my self a descendent of the Romans proper; however, every single person in the areas of the former Roman empire may consider themselves REoman descendents, as the reforms of Caracalla gave the free men of all those terrtories citizenship; I do not see how any single person may be without the blood of a Roman free-men in those areas.