This thread is based upon an idea I saw espoused by Soverihn awhile back, that has been bouncing around my head on and off since then. Basically that, before the Arab/Islamic explosion that swept through the Middle East and Africa to create a religious divide between the states on north and south of the Med, there was an emerging "culture" of sorts that had adopted Roman-ness to varying degrees.
One of the most common reasons that Roman longevity was eclipsed by Chinese longevity on this site, is the geography of Europe not favouring one state eventually re-uniting the area. The Alps, the Pyrenees, etc, etc, all serve as natural boundaries that make it difficult for a European based state to both conquer and hold such a diverse area.
So, how viable is it to instead have a *Roman Empire based on the Mediterranean? From Late Antiquity onwards if the enormous Arab conquests are either butterflied away or directed elsewhere, could we see the emergence of a similar culture based around the Mediterranean? If the Mediterranean can remain religiously united, while the various polities around the sea eventually stabilise and adopt Roman civics, would that create the ingredients needed for a Chinese style wax and wane of *Roman state power with various polities being *Rome at some point, but the concept of Rome not being cast aside.