Excellent Commentary:

From Der Alte Fritz:

One major difference vis a vis your analogies is that every four years, the US peacefully changes power. (In Rome, changes in power were usually done at the tip of th sword). We are about to do so again, and I dare say that under President Obama, American foreign policy is about to take a new direction.

Americans do not want an empire, we would rather go home and let the world the rest of the world take care of its own problems. The free world gets a "free ride" on the coat tails of American security and pays not a cent for the privilege. That's my 2 cents worth of wisdom.

In response I would like to say first that I think all game players are better at internal visualization than those whom do not 'game'.

Next I want to take you gamers to the time 'before' empire in Rome. The Republic, more accurately the late republic around 133BCE to 91BCE. This is the time when political changes were being pushed by the brothers Gracchi, while these reforms were not taken on at first the city state of ROME had to acceed to the formation of a 500 member Italic Senate at the end of the Allied war and this was the 'end' of the city state period.

The next changes came faster, and faster. From Sulla to Caesar was less than one lifetime...88BCE to 59BCE.

Now I ask those whom desire to answer:

What were the thoughts in the hearts and minds of the average "ROMAN" living in Tarentum, or Ostia, or ROME?
Was it a desire to rule the known world?
Was it to dominate the LATINS forever and through that domination march vast armies across continents (Africa, Europe and Asia) ?

Can we honestly say that some new empire is not or perhaps has not already been formed?

STOP.
Take some time to Think.