Would the civilized world be 400 years more advanced if the Roman Empire had not fallen to the barbarians?

Question

Ancient Rome had: libraries, organized roads, legal system, running water, aquaducts, leigons of 10,000 men and could feed and cloth them, lead acid batteries. After the fall of the Roman Empire the civilized world went into 400 years of the dark ages. If this didn't happen would we be that much futher advanced?

Answer 1

I seriously doubt it. New ideas and developments in technology tend to come with cultural changes as the mindsets of the people refocus on different things. Rome was at its peak when it fell, and much of its inventions were rediscovered and reused later.

Answer 2

first of all there were other civilized societies other than the Europe at the time (roughly 476 AD to 1000 AD). Great societies co-existed as the Roman influence (it never really went away) became less centralized, spreading east and west.

Granted some technology was lost, but that doesn't mean that general human innovation (in all realms of life) came to a stand-still. People in Europe were still creating, still producing, etc. There is just a relatively incomplete historical record of this era.

One thing to keep in mind is that civilizations tend to follow a pattern, spurts followed by stagnation. The lengths of these periods are influenced by internal and external political and environmental factors.

So no, we wouldn't be technologically and/or philosophically advanced by 400 years if the Roman Empire was still going on strong today. My personal belief is that we would actually be behind technologically if they were still around. When there is a power shift, such as the Roman de-influencing, there is a need for creativity and technological jump among the other "non-civilized" neighbors to survive in the accompanying power struggle.

Answer 3

That's always something interesting to think about. What would the world be like 400 years more advanced? For some reason I think that it wouldn't be much difference. The world developed in different places at different rates so the Roman Empire wasn't the only civilization that influences our current society.

Answer 4

Romans developed a great civilization though but the fact that they had developed it themselves meant that they would reach a point in which they wouldn't be able to produce a radically more advance culture because of their attachment with the things as they were. Enlightenment used the Roman culture to make a better world.

Answer 5

Let us see History!
Romans were brutal and destroyed many libraries, closed schools, killed philosophers and scientists and so on! So, initially Romans were barbarians. Then, after a thousand years of efforts by the Greeks, Romans learn to like reading and writing, arts, dinners on tables, allow some schools to operate, learn to govern without killing, allow some libraries to be formed and so on! Then, the other barbarians got the power from the Romans, but the crime was already executed!
As it has been proved, if Romans were not barbarians we would be taking our coffee on Mars, sleep on the Moon, travel to distant stars, etc.
The dark ages are result of the Romans, not of any other barbarians!

Answer 6

In my opinion, I believe we would be much further advanced

Answer 7

Yes, I think it would have. Excellent question.
Hell, it'd be even more advanced if the Catholic Church hadn't kept everyone in fear.