AHC: Preserving Roman Identity in the West

[Cuāuhtemōc]

I understand the gist that while the Western Empire collapsed, there's some semblance of Roman identity that lingered for a while before being subsumed by the post-Roman barbarian states, not to mention the cultural and linguistic legacy left behind? I know that as recent as the 20th century, you had Greek soldiers landing on villages full of people that identify as "Roman." Any chance we could replicate that in the western half of the Empire? Even if it's just isolated minorities here or there.

 

[cmakk1012]

Well, there was certainly a Roman identity in the city of Rome itself for a few centuries after the fall of the West—the people tried to set up new emperors occasionally until the 8th century. So if we prevent the creation of the Papal States, leaving Latium under the Ostrogoths or Byzantines or gaining independence a different way, you could see Roman national identity persist there.

 

[Incasaurus]

Well interestingly (I know there are some experts floating around on this subject on the forum so I’ll try to be accurate lol) several cities in England remained Romano British for far longer than previously thought. For example Silchester and London. But significantly from my perspective due to local interest, Lincoln. I’ve read a few book on the subject and visited grave sites which were unearthed in a nearby time which unequivocally proved roman culture was persisting beyond 550 AD. This clearly is s relatively late date and the kingdom of Linnius persisted as a Romano british polity probably for longer still.