GdwnsnHo
Banned
As for the library of Alexandria and quarrelsome scholars:
Interesting idea. Considering the Roman mindset, I suppose something like extensive funding for higher education and compulsory general education could only be implemented if military and socioeconomic elites saw a very concrete benefit in it. What could that benefit be?
Cheaper engineers and architects for one
Education for their sons/daughters that reduces their hassle at home.
Common language education - teaching both Greek and Latin, or the Imperial Preference will help create a common language in the Empire. If your kids use it ever day at school, and then at home when they grow up, and then their kids do the same - boom, social integration. The Romans loved themselves tools for assimilation. General education could also be used to instill loyalty to the Empire, or the Emperor - very powerful tool to co-opt. Can be used as a form of centralize propaganda to counter external propaganda (not that it'd always work). Just to think of a couple of reasons.
But the higher education would probably be useful for studying military strategies, or governance/rhetoric. Having qualifications from universities could easily be used as a political tool. Quaestor 1 has a qualification in Agriculture, Quaestor 2 has a qualification in Persian Culture and another in Commerce in the East - Quaestor 1 can argue to be better placed for managing the breadbaskets of Africa, Quaestor 2 can argue to be placed in Syria. Quaestor 3 wants to be a General in the East? Boom - Study Eastern Military, Roman Military, and Desert Warfare. Being able to throw qualifications and make your rivals appear deeply ignorant would be powerful rhetorical and political tools.
I'd add that higher education would probably be limited to the wealthy, whilst access to library materials would be more easily accessible.
Plus, political family with money? Find some quick-witted nobody, educate them, and you create an ally loyal to the family for political shenanigans.
I might chuck the library idea in another thread, as there is other stuff that could spin off, and I'd rather not distract from the point of this thread
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