"The greatness of Rome [...] is not only the result of military success, but above all of the ability to hold together an Empire so quickly conquered. If it had limited itself to military success, Rome would have equaled the great Eastern Empires: the Assyrians and the Persians. Those lasted much less and left only large traces of hatred. When the Assyrian Nineveh fell the world rejoiced: the evil Empire had disappeared. When Rome fell, the world was lost. Rome left an incomparable trace compared to those ephemeral powers."