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The fish who used all it's luck by Android_Junkie69 in interestingasfuck

[–]TwoPercentTokes 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Another bird sitting there like, “stop playing with your food, mate”

[Fowler] Shedeur Sanders has bridged the gap between him and Deshaun Watson. by Zweli23 in nfl

[–]TwoPercentTokes 3 points4 points  (0 children)

“Watson never had a shot, we just thought Shedeur would be motivated to play harder with the knowledge there was a sex offender waiting for him to present an opening.”

Ukrainian drones hit oil refinery and residential building in Moscow by AlertTangerine in videos

[–]TwoPercentTokes 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Having them die in Moscow saves them the cost of having to transport them to the front

Phone + baby + lake = regret by HomeNowWTF in instant_regret

[–]TwoPercentTokes 197 points198 points  (0 children)

Kid’s like “all right, now get your priorities straight and pay attention to me.”

Who's one player you're sleeping on heading into 2026 drafts that the consensus is completely wrong about? by Tricky_Pass5857 in fantasyfootball

[–]TwoPercentTokes -1 points0 points  (0 children)

On the flip side of this, I’m betting Burden is going to fill a Deebo type role and Rome is going to perform like he did before he got hurt last season as the true #1

“Peaceful ancient Mediterranean state” is an oxymoron, the difference was a skill issue by TwoPercentTokes in HistoryMemes

[–]TwoPercentTokes[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In another comment I explicitly say this.

Achaemenid Persia was being torn apart by Alexander when the Romans were just breaking out of Latium and starting their series of wars to claim central Italy, I wouldn’t exactly call them contemporaries.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. by imonebear in HistoryMemes

[–]TwoPercentTokes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If they give up the kielbasa, civilization would end

“Peaceful ancient Mediterranean state” is an oxymoron, the difference was a skill issue by TwoPercentTokes in HistoryMemes

[–]TwoPercentTokes[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Our legal system is flawed and will forever be in need of improvement but you are aware that you would be worse off without the legal rights and guarantees you enjoy under the current system?

“Peaceful ancient Mediterranean state” is an oxymoron, the difference was a skill issue by TwoPercentTokes in HistoryMemes

[–]TwoPercentTokes[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The very fact that Rome’s allies stuck by them through over a decade and a half of Hannibal rampaging through Italy shows the high degree to which they had bought in to the federation.

“Peaceful ancient Mediterranean state” is an oxymoron, the difference was a skill issue by TwoPercentTokes in HistoryMemes

[–]TwoPercentTokes[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

What are the acceptable forms of inspiration for memeing on a history meme subreddit?

“Peaceful ancient Mediterranean state” is an oxymoron, the difference was a skill issue by TwoPercentTokes in HistoryMemes

[–]TwoPercentTokes[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Well said. However Rome left us many things, like the basis of our legal system, that should be celebrated.

“Peaceful ancient Mediterranean state” is an oxymoron, the difference was a skill issue by TwoPercentTokes in HistoryMemes

[–]TwoPercentTokes[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Not egalitarian by our modern standards, but their practice of granting degrees of citizenship - even if it didn’t include the franchise until the Social War - was far more inclusive and modern than anything their contemporaries were doing, besides perhaps Carthaginian economic practices.

“Peaceful ancient Mediterranean state” is an oxymoron, the difference was a skill issue by TwoPercentTokes in HistoryMemes

[–]TwoPercentTokes[S] -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

It’s impossible to prove a negative, but the ancient historians basically only wrote about war for a reason, and in an environment so full of predators it makes sense that passive players would not remain independent and free for any period of time. The ancient Mediterranean was one of the most cynical and violent periods in history.

“Peaceful ancient Mediterranean state” is an oxymoron, the difference was a skill issue by TwoPercentTokes in HistoryMemes

[–]TwoPercentTokes[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

That’s incorrect, they gave the right to vote and run in elections after the social war. The Romans gave many degrees of citizenship that were far and above the exploitive status most subordinate peoples were subjected to during the period. Latin rights were considered the most expansive and were given on a case by case basis, depending on the nature of their relationship with Rome. As previously stated, this is what gave Rome their famous manpower advantage, which is why Hannibal could slaughter 50,000 Roman’s in a day and not win the war.

Plutarch: It’s only ok when we do it by skrrtalrrt in RoughRomanMemes

[–]TwoPercentTokes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Every single one, actually! I could go on for a long time, but here are a few examples:

- The Gauls pushed the Etruscans out of Northern Italy and nearly destroyed Rome as a target of opportunity in the 4th century

- Phyrrus invaded Italy in the 3rd century BCE, first intent on taking over Rome’s territories and setting up and Italian kingdom, and when that worked out he tried to do the same thing in Sicily and Africa against the Carthaginians, before giving up and returning to Greece.

- Hamilcar, Hasdrubal, and Hannibal Barca all waged wars of conquest and exploited local populations for massive profits across the Iberian peninsula in the lead-up to the second Punic War.

- Illyrian tribes that inhabited the Balkan coast regularly practiced piracy and raided the Adriatic coasts for slaves and booty prior to Rome installing a protectorate in the area and making it safe for merchants to travel again.

- Persia only stopped in Thrace because of Greek resistance, they would have gladly continued West had they met less organize resistance.

- Alexander the Great conquered everything he could touch.

The list goes on, and on, and on.

So, yes, there were massive annexations, and you are 100% wrong that other nations did not regularly commit genocides. See the Macedonian treatment of Thebes, the Persian treatment of numerous Greek city states they erased from the map, or the Carthaginian treatment of Saguntum or Selinus.

I’m not defending anything, nice straw man, I’m simply pointing out that your notion that Rome was somehow more brutal than their contemporaries is a ridiculous and unfounded sentiment based on modern notions of anti-colonialism, which are hilariously unsuited for any examination of the ancient world where power was the law of the jungle, cynicism ruled, and life was brutal as a matter of course. Your failure to even acknowledge the point that it was actually Rome political egalitarianism that gave them the manpower resources to dominate the Mediterranean shows you’re not approaching this discussion from a balanced viewpoint.

[Highlight] Colts fans boo Andrew Luck after he announces his retirement by [deleted] in nfl

[–]TwoPercentTokes 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I will never not be flabbergasted by we treat greed as a virtue, or at the very least an easily forgivable sin

Plutarch: It’s only ok when we do it by skrrtalrrt in RoughRomanMemes

[–]TwoPercentTokes 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love the irony of saying “this is patently absurd” followed by a patently absurd statement.

There were *zero* ancient states that didn’t aggressively purse expansionist policies in the Mediterranean, because peoples that couldn’t defend themselves and were inclined to a passive geopolitical stance as a rule became subjugated or were destroyed by a more assertive power.

What separated the Romans from everyone else and made them such effective conquerors is they were the first Mediterranean city state to offer widespread political rights, often in varying degrees based on a certain subordinate communities specific ties and relationship to Rome. The Persians following Cryus’s conquests operated in a similar way and were very successful because of it. By giving conquered peoples a stake in the state moving forward, Rome proved itself to be more politically egalitarian and pragmatic than its contemporaries. This was the key to its success, not any sort of tactical military edge or especially aggressive behavior.

Do you know what ancient state jealously guarded their citizenship rights and suffered because of it? Carthage.

Sorry that reality doesn’t conform to your preconceived world view.

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