Over the course of 1100 years, Rome grew from a city to a kingdom to an empire, until Rome dominated and ruled the entirety of the western world. Great buildings and temples with massive columns were built out of marble so they would last forever. Miles of roads were cut out of forests and paved with stone, giant stone aqueducts (technology marvels of the time) carried water from mountains to cities.
Statues were masterfully carved from marble and granite so the gods, generals, philosophers, and leaders would never be forgotten. Surely, the Roman Empire and the ideal of Rome would last forever. Yet, this was not the case.
Once the center of the world, the Forum Romanum crumbles.
Rome collapsed from within and crumbled. Statues were broken and buried. Nature blasted the great cities, time wore away the stone, and people multiplied and tired of being ruled. Gods were relegated to the realm of myth, and only the most studious people read about the deeds of the great generals, the thoughts of the wise philosophers and the orations of the masterful politicians.
Those who study history tend to have a passion for knowledge, a love of stories and respect for lives lived. There is no doubt history does and will again repeat itself because people forget the mistakes others have made and tread those same destructive paths (I’ve seen this in my life time, and even experience it in my office like a yearly deja-vu).
But one thing history teaches beyond a shadow of a doubt is it was never meant to last. One day, all shall fade.